Kelsey Wilding: Why was Isaiah written in poetic form?
David Ridges: Probably because it was a very prestigious thing to do in his day. It was the academically accepted way and when you get into it, it is truly beautiful, but until you get through that threshold, it can be quite confusing, but he was the academic. He was an academic. He was accord advisor to the Kings. He was what we would call in the highest circles, it’s the academics and intellectuals in his day. That’s really phenomenal and inspired, and very powerful.
Kelsey Wilding: Do you know if he had any siblings?
David Ridges: I do not know.
Kelsey Wilding: Do you know anything about his parents?
David Ridges: Not really. No.
Kelsey Wilding: What about his wife?
David Ridges: We don’t know anything to speak of, except that they did have children and they were told by the Lord to give them some names, special names for the prophecies and things to come, but I know of nothing else. There may be others that do.
According to Victor Ludlow, “Hebrew poetry comprises about one-third of the Old Testament, reaching beyond the so-called poetic books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and so on) into the rest of the scriptures. It is especially prominent in the prophetic books …For example, approximately ninety percent of Isaiah is written in poetry.”Ludlow suggests that ancient scribes, poets, and prophets all wrote this way to help audiences and readers more easily remember what they had to say. “Their messages were usually quite short and tightly structured like a song or poem.” They also used patterns and memory devices to make their message easier to remember and at the same time “allow the author spontaneity of expression. Thus, there was less material to be memorized, and the arrangement facilitated its memorization,” which makes sense since in ancient times parchment rolls were both rare and costly. Memorizing an epistle was one of the best ways to share God’s word.To better see the poetic form, Ludlow uses the New Jewish Version of this chapter with the Book of Mormon variants from 1 Nephi 20 added in italics and [brackets mark segments omitted] from the Book of Mormon. We have placed this alongside the King James Version of Isaiah 48 for comparison.
New Jewish Version (italicized phrases from 1 Ne 20) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
King James Version
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1
x
x
Hearken and listen to this, x O House of Jacob, x Who bear the name Israel x And have issued from the waters of Judah, x Or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the LORD, x and invoke the God of Israel— x Though they swear not in truth and sincerity—
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the awaters of Judah, which bswear by the name of the Lord, and make cmention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. x x x
2 xx
Nevertheless for you are called after the Holy City x And you do not lean on the God of Isreal xwho is the Lord of hosts, x Yea whose name is LORD of Hosts.
Behold long ago, I foretold things that happened, x From My mouth they issued, x and I announced them; x Suddenly I acted [and they came to pass].
I have adeclared the bformer things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
4 xx
And I did it because I know how stubborn you are x (Your neck is like an iron sinew x And your forehead bronze),
Because I knew that athouartbobstinate, and thy cneckis an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; x
5 xx
Therefore I told you long beforehand, x Announced things to you ere they happened— And I showed them that you might not say, “My idol caused them, x My carved and molten images ordained them.”
I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
6 xx
You have heard all this; look, x must you not acknowledge it?
As of now, I announce to you new things, x Well-guarded secrets you did not know.
Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
7x
x
Only now are they created, and not of old; xBefore today you had not heard them; x When they were declared unto you; x You cannot say, “I knew them already.”
They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
8x
x
You had never heard, you had never known, x Your ears were not opened of old.
Though I know that you are treacherous, x That you were called a rebel from birth,
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the awomb.
9x
x
Nevertheless for the sake of My name I control My wrath; x To My own glory, I am patient with you, x And I will not destroy you.
¶ For my aname’s sake will I defer mine banger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
10xxx
See, I refine you, but not as silver; x I test you in the furnace of affliction.
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the afurnace of baffliction.
11 x xx
For My sake, My own sake, do I act— x Lest [My name] is dishonored! x I will not give My glory to another. x
For mine own asake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my bname be polluted? and I will not cgive my glory unto another.
12
x
Listen to Me, O Jacob, x Israel, whom I have called:
I am He—I am the first, x And I am the last as well.
¶ Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. x
13
x
My own hand founded the earth, x My right hand spread out the skies.
I call unto them, x let them stand up.
Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the aearth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. x
14
x
Assemble, all of you, and listen! x Who among you foretold these things x unto them: “He whom the LORD loves x And he will fulfill his word which he has x declared by them; x And he shall work His will against Babylon, x And, with His might, against Chaldea”?
All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his apleasure on bBabylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. xx
15
x
Also, says the Lord; I the Lord I, I predicted and I called him to declare, x I have brought him and he shall succeed in x his mission.
I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. x x
16
x
Draw near to Me [and hear this]: x From the beginning, I did not speak in secret; x From the time anything was x declared [existed], have spoken [was there].
“And now the Lord GOD has sent me, endowed with His spirit.”
¶ Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in asecret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath bsent me. x
17
xx
Thus said the LORD your Redeemer, x The Holy One of Israel:
I have sent him, the LORD am your God, x Instructing you for your own benefit. x Guiding you in the way you should go, has x done it.
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which aleadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. x x
18
x
If only you would heed My commands! x Then your prosperity would be like a river, x Your triumph like the waves of the sea.
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy apeace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19
x
Your offspring would be as many as the sand, x Their issue as many as its grains.
Their name would never be cut off x Or obliterated from before Me.
Thy aseed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. x
20
x
Go forth from Babylon,
Flee from Chaldea! x Declare this with loud shouting,
Announce this,
Bring out the word to the ends of the earth! x Say: “The LORD has redeemed x His servant Jacob!”
¶ Go ye forth of aBabylon, flee ye from the bChaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
x
21
x
They have known no thirst
Though He led them through parched places; x He made water flow for them from the rock; x He cleaved the rock and water gushed forth.
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the awaters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22
x
And notwithstanding he hasdone all this, and greater also, There is no safety—said the LORD—for the wicked.
There is no apeace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.
x
For detailed information on Hebrew poetry, you may want to purchase a copy of Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet by Victor L. Ludlow. His chapter “Parallelism in Old Testament Poetry and Prophecy” is excellent in helping readers learn how to navigate Isaiah (and other books in the Old Testament). In that section, he writes: “Parallelism is the most distinctive quality of Hebrew poetry, and it is found in most of the famous biblical passages. In parallelism, a thought, idea, grammar pattern, or keyword of the first line is repeated or continued in the second line.” If you look for that in the sample above, you find Isaiah repeating his message to reinforce the teaching.
He closes the chapter with this, “…parallelism served not only as an oral memory device, but it also enriched the messages of the prophets. Today, an awareness of parallelism aids the reader in his comprehension of vague and repetitive biblical passages. …an understanding of this poetic style can increase one’s appreciation of the literary qualities and religious messages to be found in the scriptures.”
In her review of Understanding Isaiah, Ann Madsen, an Isaiah scholar, found the title itself “inviting’ and she promised readers will find it be user-friendly. She explains how layout chosen presents each chapter of Isaiah as a chapter in the book, and each begins with a focused paragraph or two to help readers in “likening Isaiah unto ourselves.” At the beginning, the authors include six pages of good guidance to get started in the 659-page volume.
She asks: “‘Who does not long to understand Isaiah?” Then from the book, she answers: “‘Most of us know that we have been commanded to search the words of Isaiah diligently. And most of us agree that that is a hard thing to do.’ The authors offer tools and suggestions to ease the task. The first time reader of Isaiah, the seasoned scholar, and all students in between will find aid and comfort here as they seek to understand Isaiah.”
In the review, Madsen wrote: “by relating themes of particular chapters to specific challenges, people face today,” readers will be able to “liken” Isaiah to themselves. “This approach welcomes the reader into the section with some notion of its content. Of course, the idea is the authors’ interpretation, but this is the stuff of which commentaries are made. Isaiah’s poetry is so heavily symbolic that authors have difficulty standing back and allowing readers conjure their images, allowing the metaphor speak to each on a personal level. The temptation to simplify is always present, especially when there are so many levels of meaning to be plumbed; defining one may close the door to others waiting in the wings. The Isaiah text is printed in Hebrew poetic form: short poetic lines enable the reader to discern the symbolic parallelism that is obscured when the book is written in prose as it is in our King James Bible.”
The authors, Jay Parry, Donald Parry, and Tina M Peterson, suggest the book “…be used as a reference and study aid. …Each section consists of a descriptive heading, an introduction to the section, the text of that passage of Isaiah, and a phrase-by-phrase commentary. The Isaiah text includes alternate readings from the Book of Mormon, the Joseph Smith Translation, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible. It also includes clarifications of archaic words. The text is arranged in poetic form where possible.” This format shows Isaiah’s use of parallelism as a Hebrew poetic form. Though I have just picked up my copy, I have already found it to be one of the best parts of my library.
Ann N. Madsen, an Isaiah scholar and poet, teaches ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. She received her MA degree from BYU in ancient studies with a minor in Hebrew. At present, she serves on the Sunday School general board of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She and her husband, Truman, have three children and a Navajo foster son, sixteen grandchildren and, at the moment, twenty-five great-grandchildren.
“The language of Isaiah was Hebrew, which belongs to the same family of Semitic languages that includes Arabic,” explained Shon Hopkin and Ann Madsen, in their new collaborative harmony of the Book of Isaiah, “Opening Isaiah”
“Each has its unique alphabet and is read from right to left. When Isaiah wrote Hebrew, it contained no punctuation or capitalization. It would appear to us to be one long sentence, similar to the manuscript of the Book of Mormon that Joseph Smith dictated.
“The book of Isaiah is written almost entirely in poetic form, as are most of the prophecies in the Old Testament, in what Nephi calls ‘the manner of prophesying among the Jews’ (2 Ne 25:1).
“Parallelism is the method used to produce poetry in Hebrew. Parallelism compares a keyword or idea in a first line that repeats in the second line. Sometimes the idea repeats over several lines. Learning to read in two-line sequences is a great help in understanding Isaiah’s writings. Some translations are formatted to show the short lines of poetry in Isaiah in order to make this process easier. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is one of these.
“In the following example, notice that the King James Version (KJV) does not show the poetic lines, but the NRSV does:
“The poetic rendering of the verse in the NRSV makes it easier to recognize that the ox and the donkey are parallel, as are the owner and the master. Similar parallels are more easily recognizable in the next two poetic lines, the second half of the verse. Studying Isaiah in poetic form, one can readily see the stacked words’ relationship.
“In English poetry, the last words in a line are often rhymed. In Hebrew poetry, ‘idea rhymes’ are used instead, while the words themselves seldom rhyme,” explained Madsen.
Types of Parallelism
Synonymous—Often the second line will help explain the first. Example: NRSV Isa 1:31
31 The strong shall become like tinder, and their work like a spark; they and their work shall burn together, with no one to quench them.
Emblematic—Ideas are compared by means of simile or metaphor. Example: NRSV Isa 1:18
18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Antithetic—The second line clarifies both ideas through contrast, like the color black next to white. Example: NRSV Isa 1:19–20
19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken
Synthetic or Completion—The second line completes the first, like a belt and buckle, in the form of Question–Answer, or Situation–Consequence, or Proposition–Conclusion.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
5. Chiasmus or Introverted—This word comes from Greek letter Χ (chi), which is the form it describes. The second line of the parallel is inverted. (Note: Often a chiasmus has many more than four lines.)
Example: NIV Isa 11:1 A) A shoot will come up B) from the stump of Jesse; B’) from his roots A’) a Branch will bear fruit.
6. Composite—each word or phrase (usually three or more) presents or expands upon a common theme, like spokes in a wheel.
Example: NSRV Isa 1:4 4 Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the LORD, who have despised the Holy One of Israel, who are utterly estranged!
7. Climatic— Part of one line is treated in subsequent lines, culminating (or sometimes beginning) with the main point.
Example A (ending with the main point): NSRV Isa 1:7 7 Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence aliens devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
Example B (beginning with the main point): NSRV Isa 1:8 8. And daughter Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
In the concluding paragraphs, Madsen and Hopkin, explain some of the symbolic images he paints for his readers, how our modern chapters chop up some of the continuity of his messages, and how some of his prophetic “present tense” and “past tense” that might describe past, present (in his time), and future events, even as he describes them as having already occurred. Finally, they recommend that we “be patient and be preparee to put in effort in order to “search” and understand Isaiah’s words.
Ann Madsen and Shon Hopkin shared this information in the introduction to their Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, and is used with Madsen’s permission.
We have found evidences that seemingly contradict Biblical truth but, as you move along in the study of that archaeological pit, they find out, “Oh, wait, wait. It is true.” In other words, they’ll find something that points to the fact that it is true. There have been isolated things that have been picked up and, then, as they continue to mature the study, then it always ends up affirming the Biblical account.
Of course, one of the most famous of all of these is the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We had been told many things: that the book of Isaiah actually is not the book of Isaiah — it’s three books by a claim of someone who used Isaiah’s name. Now, why did they do that? Well, they made that view of the book of Isaiah up not because there was any evidence, but the book of Isaiah contained prophecies. If you got a prophecy, then you got a God because only God can tell you what’s going to happen because prophecy is pre-written history. If you’ve got prophecy, then what you need to do is you need to post-date the book so that the guy’s really fabricating the story as a prophetic statement when, in reality, it’s already occurred and he’s only reporting something that has occurred.
Well, then, lo and behold, we find out, guess what, Dead Sea Scrolls — which predate Jesus — all of the messianic prophecies were already recorded and they found them in the jars. Here are scrolls that predate Jesus and that affirm the unity of Isaiah — the actuality of Isaiah, and the historicity of the prophecies, which means that Jesus is a fulfillment of true prophecy.
Hoyt Brewster, in Isaiah Plain and Simple, suggests that Isaiah 3 “should be read in conjunction with the previous and following chapters in order to get the ‘big picture.’ While being filled with warnings to the ‘proud and lofty,’ Isaiah 2 contains a great deal of hope. Chapter 3, however, presents the downside; focusing on judgments to be poured out on the rebellious. Finally, Isaiah 4 provides the hope of a future redemption for Zion and Jerusalem.”
“Isaiah 3 contains a prophecy about the house of Judah in Isaiah’s day, and it also applies to people in our day. In Isaiah 3:1–7, Isaiah prophesied of the physical destruction and spiritual loss that would come upon Judah and Jerusalem. (Jerusalem was the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.)” Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students (OTSG)
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 3
Judah and Jerusalem will be punished for their disobedience—The Lord pleads for and judges His people—The daughters of Zion are cursed and tormented for their worldliness—Compare 2 Nephi 13.
King James Version
Book of Mormon
Expanded Foot Notes and Commentary
Isaiah 3:1–8 Prophetic Declaration of the Fall of Judah
Joseph Smith Translation (JST) corrections are in RED; commentary is GREENand when not otherwise noted comes from Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students
1 aFor, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from bJerusalem [A] and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of cbread [B], and the whole stay of water,
1 aFor behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole staff of bread, and the whole stay of water—
x
In the following verses, “Isaiah described the eventual fall of Judah and Jerusalem in terms of the noted officials and respected persons of his day. These included government, military, educational, and religious leaders. With the loss of such individuals, the nation would fall under despotic reign at the hands of youthful puppets. Finally, it would rush toward anarchy as the last struggles for power were exercised within the ruling family. (See Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 7:1:130–35.) Old Testament Student Manual(OTSM)
“…in Isaiah 3, the prophet gets a good deal more explicit, setting aside evocative but now-dated imagery for direct description of what collapse would look like for the covenant people. First, basic staples run out as drought and famine prevail: ‘The Lord of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah . . . the whole staff of bread and the whole stay of water.’ (2 Ne. 13:1)–Spencer, Joseph M., Vision of All, Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.
2 The mighty man [C], and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the aancient,
2 The amighty man, and the man of bwar, the judge, and the prophet, and the cprudent, and the ancient;
When Israel and Judah were conquered by foreign nations like Assyria and Babylon, the conquerors carried away the upper class to serve them and to remove leaders that might threaten rebellion. Those who were left—women (v. 12), children (v. 4), or even a man with a cloak (v. 6, NRSV)—might be sought to lead. This theme continues through v. 12.—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah, p 11
4 And I will give achildrento be their princes [E], and babes shall rule over them.
4 And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
aEccl. 10:16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another[F], and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the aancient[E1], and the base against the honourable.
5 And the people shall be aoppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself bproudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.
[F]This is the pivot point of this chiasmus: anarchy. Ridges, The Old Testament Made Easier, p. 32 (see note below)
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler [D1], and let this aruinbe under thy hand:
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say: Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let not this aruincome under thy hand—
x x
The people would be so desperate for leadership that they would select rulers because they were able to dress decently, but even family leaders would refuse to help. The Book of Mormon provides textual clarification for verse 6, showing that the people pleaded that the ruler not let ruin come upon them (see 2 Nephi 13:6).” Old Testament Student Manual(OTSM)
7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be aan healer[C1]; for in my house is –neither bread [B1] nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
7 In that day shall he swear, saying: I will not be a healer; for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people.
aan healer: HEB a binder up (of a wound); i.e., I cannot solve your problems.
8 For aJerusalem is ruined [A1], and Judah is bfallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
8 For Jerusalem is aruined, and Judah is bfallen, because their ctongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to dprovoke the eyes of his glory.
x
Read Isaiah 3:8–9, looking for what the people did to bring these consequences upon themselves.
What do you think the phrase “they have rewarded evil unto themselves” (Isaiah 3:9) means? (OTSG)
Isaiah introduces us to a form of Hebrew poetic parallelism in this chapter called chiasmus. Using this writing style, David Ridges explains, “the author says certain things and then intentionally repeats them in reverse order for emphasis.” 1 Ridges explains how chiasmus can be outlined something like this example from Isaiah 6:10:
A heart B ears C eyes
C’ eyes B’ ears A’ heart
10 Make the heart A of this people fat,
and make their ears B heavy,
and shut their eyes C; lest they see with their eyes C’,
and hear with their ears B‘,
and understand with their heart A’…
Ridges says, “the pivot point or midpoint of the chiasmus is the main message. For example, in the chiasmus used by Isaiah [in Isaiah 3:1–8 above] …the main message is found in verse 5, where he emphasizes that when a society collapses because of wickedness, everyone is persecuted and oppressed by everyone else.” 2 (You can find this chiasmus highlighted in yellow above. Read more about chiasmushere.)
9 ¶The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their asin as bSodom, they hide itnot. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their asinto be even as bSodom, and they cannot hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves!
x
The Book of Mormon clarifies the meaning of this significant verse (see 2 Nephi 13:9). Individuals radiate the quality of their spirit and attitude. They manifest the real person—good or evil. Isaiah warned that the disobedient cannot hide the effects of their transgressions from others. President David O. McKay provided the following insights into this principle: “Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is. … It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us. “As individuals, we must think nobler thoughts. We must not encourage vile thoughts or low aspirations. We shall radiate them if we do. If we think noble thoughts; if we encourage and cherish noble aspirations, there will be that radiation when we meet people, especially when we associate with them.’ (Man May Know for Himself, p. 108.)
10 Say ye to the arighteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall beat the fruit of their doings.
10 Say unto the righteous that it is awell with them; for they shall beat the fruit of their doings.
If you wanted to grow apples, you would not plant an orange seed. Ponder how that simple truth relates to the choices you make and the consequences that follow. (OTSG)
11 Woe unto the awicked! it shall be ill with him: for bthe reward of his hands shall be given him.
11 Wo unto the wicked, for they shall perish; for the reward of their hands shall be upon them!
b IE the recompense of his deeds shall be done to him.
Read Isaiah 3:10–11, and complete the following principles based on what the Lord taught about choices and consequences: If we are righteous… If we sin… How do these principles relate to seeds and the fruit they produce?Answer the following question in your scripture study journal: How can remembering the consequences of righteousness and sin help you when you are faced with temptation? (OTSG)
12 ¶As for my people, children are their oppressors, andawomen rule over them. O my people, they which blead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
12 And my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they who alead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths.
This verse refers to women ruling over Judah. Note nothing derogatory is said about leadership by women per se, but obviously, they would not be ruling with the priesthood. During Judah’s dispersion among the Gentiles, there were undoubtedly many women [queens, etc.] who ruled over them and in modern times Golda Meir served as modern Isreal’s prime minister.—Monte S. Nyman, Great Are the Words of Isaiah
13 The Lord standeth up to aplead, and standeth to judge the people.
13 The Lord standeth up to aplead, and standeth to judge the people.
14 The Lord will enter into ajudgment with the bancientsof his people, and he cprinces thereof: for ye have deaten up the vineyard; the espoil of the fpooris in your houses.
14 The Lord will enter into ajudgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the bvineyard and the spoil of the cpoor in your houses.
x
The vineyard is a symbol of the chosen people (see Isaiah 5:7), and the rulers of Israel were called to be watchmen over the vineyard. Instead of guarding the Lord’s vineyard they had oppressed the people and consumed the vineyard (compare Matthew 21:33–40). (OTSM)
15 What mean ye that ye abeat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.
15 What mean ye? Ye abeat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts. x
President Monson changed the Mission of the Church to include: “caring for the poor and needy.”
Isaiah 3:16–24. The “Daughters of Zion” to Succumb to Worldliness in the Latter Days
In these verses one can see a good example of dualism (see E-5 in the Old Testament Student Manual). Isaiah shows that the wickedness prevailing in Israel and Judah included the women, who were proud, arrogant, and more concerned with their clothing, jewels, and personal appearance than with righteousness. But these verses can also be applied in the latter days, when women will once more lose sight of proper priorities. President Joseph Fielding Smith said of this passage:
“Isaiah, one of the great prophets of early times, saw our day, and he described the conditions that would prevail among the ‘daughters of Zion’ in these latter days. … “Now, in this modern day, Isaiah’s prophecy has been and is being fulfilled. … “The standards expressed by the General Authorities of the Church are that women, as well as men, should dress modestly. They are taught proper deportment and modesty at all times. It is, in my judgment, a sad reflection on the ‘daughters of Zion’ when they dress immodestly. Moreover, this remark pertains to the men as well as to the women. The Lord gave commandments to ancient Israel that both men and women should cover their bodies and observe the law of chastity at all times.” (Answers to Gospel Questions,5:172–74.)
16 ¶ Moreover the Lord saith, Because the adaughters of Zion are bhaughty, and cwalk with stretched forth necks and dwanton eyes, walking and emincingas they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
16 Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are ahaughty, and bwalk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet—
x
Isaiah used one of his most descriptive images as he compared the house of Israel to prideful women completely decorated in the most fashionable styles of the day. These women, very concerned with appearing beautiful on the outside, had neglected true inner spirituality. We can liken these teachings to ourselves as a warning of what will happen to us if we are prideful and wicked. (Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, (2002), 140)
“Stretched forth necks” is an idiom describing haughtiness—pride in self and scorn toward others (see Young, Book of Isaiah, 1:162).
“Mincing … and making a tinkling with their feet.” The women wore costly ornamental chains connecting rings about the ankles. These were often adorned with bells. (See Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary,7:1:143.)
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a ascab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will bdiscover their secret parts.
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a ascab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will bdiscover their secret parts.
“Discover their secret parts” is an idiom meaning that they would be put to shame (see Isaiah 3:17a). OTSMx
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and theiracauls, and theirbround tires like the moon.
18 In that aday the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon;
To see the Latest Isaiah Fashion Trends click here.
Verses 19–23. These terms describe fashions that were popular among the worldly women in Isaiah’s day: “muffler”—veil; “bonnet”—headdress; “tablets”—perfume boxes; “earrings”—charms or amulets; “nose jewels”—nose rings; “changeable suits of apparel”—clothing for festivals only; “mantle”—overcloak; “wimples”—a type of shawl or veil worn over the head; “crisping-pins”—erroneously rendered as hair curling implements. The Hebrew suggests a bag, like modern purses or handbags; “glasses”—most authorities translate as a metal mirror, although some suggest transparent clothing, “hoods”—turbans, head cover wrapped by hand. (See Young, Book of Isaiah, 1:165–66; Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 7:1:144–47.)
19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the amufflers
19 The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers;
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings;
21 The rings, and nose jewels,
21 The rings, and nose jewels;
22 The achangeable suits of bapparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins;
23 The aglasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils.
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.
24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle aa rent; and instead of well set hair bbaldness; and instead of ca stomacher a girding of sackcloth; anddburning instead ofebeauty.
24 And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, abaldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; bburning instead of cbeauty.
25 Thy amen shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war.
26 And her agates shall lament and bmourn; and she shall be desolate, and shall csit upon the ground.
d IE Jerusalem shall be emptied, cleaned out.
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 4
Zion and her daughters will be redeemed and cleansed in the millennial day—Compare 2 Nephi 14.
Both the Josep Smith Translation and the Hebrew Bible put verse one of chapter 4 at the end of chapter 3, which puts it in the context of Jerusalem’s destruction and the scarcity of men resulting from the war prophesied in Isaiah 3:25–26. See 3:25.” Footnote b likewise refers the reader to chapter 3—Ridges, David J.. The Old Testament Made Easier Part 3. Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
1 And in that day aseven women shall take hold of one bman, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy cname, to take away our dreproach.
x
1 aAnd in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our breproach.
This is the time of the destruction of Jerusalem spoken of in Isaiah 3:25–26 “because of a scarcity of men due to wars” women will pay their own way to take the name of a man in marriage—the stigma in that society of being unmarried and childless.—Ridges, David J.. The Old Testament Made Easier Part 3. Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Joseph Spencer adds this about “Isaiah 2–5 (or 2 Nephi 12–15)—we get a clear contrast between what’s to come and where things are at presently. Israel and all nations will gather together in peace to worship the true God someday, but for the moment Israel is entirely flouting its responsibility to the nations, with the result that Israel is largely indistinguishable from them. The nations aren’t joining Israel in offering hospitality to those in need; instead, Israel is joining the nations in the systematic oppression of the poor. The nations aren’t reconciling themselves one to another as Israel invites them to recognize their fraternal identity; instead, Israel seeks to define itself in terms of military might in full imitation of what the Gentile nations. The result, horrifically, is that the nations do indeed come swarming to Israel, but only to lay her in ruins. There’s a promise already of a remnant who’ll escape, but the emphasis is unmistakably on the perfect inversion in the present of what’s to be anticipated in the future.
1 Ridges, David J.. The Old Testament Made Easier Part 3 2 Ridges, ibid. 3 Spencer, Joseph M. The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record. Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.
Further Study: Insights into Isaiah—A Song of My Beloved
Kelsey Wilding: So, where did you get your interest in Isaiah?
David Ridges: My interest in Isaiah came when I was teaching seminary and every time we had a segment or a little bit of unit on Isaiah I felt bad because I had read that if you really have the Spirit, Isaiah would become plain to you and that certainly wasn’t that case for me. And so, I felt bad that I didn’t really understand Isaiah except for the very basics, which we all quoted like, Isaiah 1, 18, ‘Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow,’ and so forth. I love that, but one summer, I was attending a summer class for CES teachers at the Institute of Religion, brother Ellis Rasmussen, of the religion department of BYU, was our teacher for a special unit of Isaiah, and the very first day the first thing he did after introducing himself and kind of getting acquainted with us, he quoted the first verse of Isaiah 53, and then looked up at us, and where it says, ‘Who hath believed our report,’ and he just looked up and said, what this really means is who believes us prophets anyway. And that for some reason just struck a chord, just resonated with me, and I said to myself, it was an ‘aha’ moment for me, I said, ah Isaiah can be understood. So, I took lots of notes, writing in my Scriptures while brother Rasmussen was teaching us that summer. It intrigued me and I went on in that time to study several others, but especially brother Nyman when he wrote his book, ‘Greater the words of Isaiah,’ and then probably my favorite of all would be Victor Ludlow book, ‘Isaiah Prophet, Seer & Poet’, because he explained things in ways that I could understand, and he gave great references, he broke it down to simple English for me and that really got me going. After that I ended up teaching Isaiah at education weeks several times for many years. And I also, as an institute teacher at the Institute of Religion, I was given permission to do some Isaiah verse by verse classes, and the students that signed up for those, really wanted it and so I just had them use their use their scriptures and put little notes right in their scriptures, and when a student would miss, and this is important because this kind of got me into the part where I was doing the book, ‘Isaiah made easier’, but when they would miss a class for whatever reason, their scriptures by now were technicolor. I had them mark different colors for different things, whatever they wanted to do, but just differentiate scriptures as you know they have a lot of extra space in it, so we did what I called micro scrunching and later they would have to have a magnifying glass to be able to read what they wrote when they got older. But any rate, once one of our students would miss class and they would come back and say brother Ridges, what do I do, look at my scriptures, they were technicolor and then blank, nothing in one chapter or two chapters. And so, I took pity on them and I started downloading that chapter from the web and then I would type in verses, little preface notes and also between verses so that they could take that and write those notes in their scriptures, basically covering what we had covered in class, and I’d even do a lot more verbally in class than you can ever capture in Scriptures but the essentials for understanding them were right there and so at the end of that semester, I had those chapters of Isaiah all written out on the computer with notes in the verses and in between, and then one of my friends got a hold of that and encouraged my wife and me to publish that and he was wealthy and he said if it doesn’t sell or whatever, I’ll just buy them all, so you won’t be out of any money. That is a pretty good gift.
Kelsey Wilding: That is a pretty good gift, yeah.
David Ridges: And then, so we did, and then I was very busy at the time because of my Ecclesiastes following and working on several other things, and so I let that go, I didn’t republish it, just didn’t have time. Then in 2001 I guess, an editor for CFR publishing that lived in our ward, ran into my wife at the produce department at the local grocery store, and he asked her if I would be willing to maybe write for their publishing company and she said, yeah, I think so. And then she told me, and I said, yeah, I think that’s a pretty good idea. I was just ready to retire from CES, after teaching thirty-five years and so they published Isaiah, my book on ‘Isaiah made easier’, both in the book of Mormon, all the book of Mormon chapters, and all of the Bible chapters of Isaiah. And they were a little reluctant because that’s not really the most popular subject, but it actually worked, and the rest is history. They kept me writing and I kept writing and I’m still doing that. I have written thirty-three books thus far.
Kelsey Wilding: Are you writing anymore?
David Ridges: Right now, I’m mainly working with you guys. I did just do a book of Mormon chronology chart and that’s gone to press now, a simplified book, but I don’t know what’s next, I’m not done yet I don’t think, but I’ll find out.
To study Isaiah within its Book of Mormon setting, study the material in smaller units, usually as individual chapters or, at most, a small group of chapters.
First, read the relevant material. Read the chapter headings in the Book of Mormon of the Isaiah chapters to be quoted. Next, read the verses just prior to the quoted Isaiah sections. Then read the Isaiah material carefully and completely. Finally, be sure to read the verses (and sometimes the chapters) immediately following the Isaiah passages as inspired prophetic commentary is given!
Second, review the major or important ideas in your mind. What for you, at this time, are the significant concepts that you remember from this material. Identify the particular message of greatest value for you. Can you “liken any message unto yourself”? (1 Ne 19:23-24). Seek to apply the relevant insights in your own life. One good way of focusing on the essential elements is to record some key ideas in the margins of your scriptures. In addition, you may want to write your feelings and commitments in your journal or diary.
Third, study one small section of the material at a time, just a few verses. This could be the verses highlighting the major message for you. It could be the least understood portion of the reading or just a portion which you feel you want to study in greater depth. Reread those verses in their context and then use the footnotes of both the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Note any Hebrew clarifications or Joseph Smith Translation (JST) insights. Read the verses cross-referenced in the footnotes in their context. Look up the topical guide (TG) entries, and see if any other Isaiah passages deal with the same theme; then read those passages. Skim through the other listings in that TG entry and note if other passages in the Standard Works provide insights for that concept. Reread the verses and consider if there might be any terms, names, etc. which might be in the Bible Dictionary; see if any of them are listed. Prepare a brief outline of the key ideas or words of that section of verses. Try to identify any poetic patterns or parallelisms. Reread the section, and ponder how it fits within its Book of Mormon context.
Finally, during this study, follow Moroni’s admonition of how to study the scriptures as you read, remember, ponder, and pray (Moroni 10:3-5).
You will be pleasantly surprised how much you can learn in your studies of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon!
Presented by Victor L. Ludlow at BYU Education Week 2006
Kelsey Wilding: Hi, today we are talking with Ann Madsen. It’s nice to meet you Ann. We’re going to get to know a little bit about her, so can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Ann Madsen: I’m eighty-five years old. My greatest accomplishment is that I have four children, sixteen grandchildren, and forty-one, going on forty-two great grandchildren. I’ve loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ since I first got a testimony of the Book of Mormon when I was thirteen years old. I’ve never been able to get enough of it since then. I’ve been ever since then trying to find out more and more and more, and I found out that you can never find the depths of the whole thing. I’m slightly disabled, but I’ve accommodated that. I’ll be teaching a class on Monday, in Isaiah. And that’s…I love Isaiah, and I love students and putting those two together makes me very happy. My husband died nine years ago. I thought at that time that that eternal companionship was being at least postponed a little while and I realized that I could be happy, lonely, but happy, and I am happy. The Gospel makes us happy and that’s why I love to teach the Gospel.
Ann N. Madsen, an Isaiah scholar and poet, teaches ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. She received her MA degree from BYU in ancient studies with a minor in Hebrew. At present, she serves on the Sunday School general board of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She and her husband, Truman, have three children and a Navajo foster son, sixteen grandchildren and, at the moment, twenty-five great-grandchildren.
