As a millennial living in 2017, having a short attention span isn’t such a bad thing anymore. If anything it’s almost beneficial. This world moves fast in some cases so it’s nice to have an attention span that can keep up.
However, be millennial and try to read Isaiah—try and see how long your attention will last on that book. When your mind is going from Instagram to Twitter, to Snapchat to Texts, to what music is playing through your headphones, to school, work, to Facebook, to the many dating apps; it’s very difficult to try and spend quality time in the scriptures let alone Isaiah.
There are no pictures you can double click on or a constantly changing feed that updates. No music that plays. No people commenting. No followers. No couple of second video stories. Just words on a page… not just any normal words even, but the Shakespeare of Biblical times.
So, all I’m saying is if you’re struggling to read it or if you kind of quickly skim it in the Book of Mormon or the Bible you’re not alone. Isaiah is one of the most revelatory books in the scriptures and the only one Christ himself tells us to search, but for some reason that doesn’t make it any easier. I guess that’s just life though. If you want the best
you have to work for it. Isaiah is arguably one of the best books of scripture so you really have to work in order to read and understand it. So, I don’t know about you but I’m going to set my phone in another room (because we all know I’m too weak to just put it “aside”) and give Isaiah a shot for a couple minutes every day. Because I really don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on.
“For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 23:1–2).
To introduce these great words of Isaiah, let’s first turn to Understanding Isaiah by Don Parry, who writes:
“The Lord through the prophet Isaiah lists the iniquities of ancient Israel, which include rebelliousness, the commission of social injustices, and the neglect of true temple worship (1:2–15). The Lord then invites Israel to repent and cleanse herself through the power of the Atonement (1:16–20).
“In our own day the Lord has spoken through the Prophet Joseph Smith and detailed our transgressions, which include social injustices: we ‘do not impart of [our] substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted’ (D&C 105:3); further, there are ‘contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires” among us (D&C 101:6; 105).
“We, like our brothers and sisters of ancient Israel, are invited to repent and become clean through Christ’s divine sacrifice: ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’ (1:18).
“Isaiah 1:24–31 also has direct relevance for us today, for this section speaks of latter-day Zion (that is, us, the latter-day Church), who will be restored, redeemed, and cleansed. Our ‘dross’ and ‘tin’ will be removed; our righteous judges and counselors will be restored.”1
The book of Isaiah compiles writings of the prophet, “possibly even an abridgment of some of his work. …Chronological order is not always adhered to; therefore each chapter should be examined carefully within its own historical [and doctrinal] context”2
“Chapter 1 is a preface to the whole book of Isaiah, much like Doctrine and Covenants, section one, is to the whole Doctrine and Covenants, or like the superscription at the beginning of First Nephi is, which says “An account of Lehi…” 3 In it, as he describes the vision that God has given him of the rebellion of Israel. Then through Isaiah, the Lord calls the people to repentance, to become clean. Isaiah also made promises, threatenings43, and prophesied that “the house of the Lord” would be established in the last days and that the high and mighty would be chastened at the Savior’s Second Coming.
In “Great Are the Words of Isaiah“, Hugh Nibley wrote: “The quickest way to get an overview of the immense book of Isaiah is simply to read the first chapter. Scholars have long held that this is not part of the original book but a summary by a disciple. If so, that makes it nonetheless valuable, and indeed it is remarkable that this, the most famous chapter of Isaiah, is never quoted in the Book of Mormon. Let’s take it verse by verse.”5
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 1
Israel is apostate, rebellious, and corrupt; a very small remnant only is faithful—Their sacrifices and feasts are rejected—They are called upon to repent and work righteousness—Zion shall be redeemed in the day of restoration.
Joseph Smith Translation (JST) corrections are in RED; commentary isGREEN and when not otherwise noted comes from Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students
King James Version
Expanded Foot Notes and Commentary
Read Isaiah 1:1–2, looking for what the Lord said about the people of Judah and Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day.
1aTG Visions. b 1 Ne. 19: 23 (23-24)23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. 3 Ne. 23: 1 AND now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. cTG Israel, Judah, People of d2 Kgs. 15: 13 (1-13) Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria. Hosea 1: 1 THE word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. e2 Kgs. 15: 30, 38 (13-38)30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. Micah 1: 1 THE word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, andHezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. f2 Kgs. 16: 20 (19-20) And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
The name Isaiah in Hebrew is Yeshayahu and means “Jehovah saves”
The reigns of Uzziah (Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah occurred in the late 700s BC. See 2 Kgs 14–21 and 2 Chr 26–32. Uzziah, Jotham, and Hezekiah are described as mostly righteous. Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 2
2aHear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have brebelled against me.
aD&C 76: 1HEAR, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is noSavior. bDeut. 32: 19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorredthem, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. The people of Israel are God’s children—He is their Father. This is the doctrine they have forgotten, and they will be in no condition to receive it again until they have undergone the moral regeneration that is the burden of Isaiah’s preaching—Nibley
Isaiah often recorded the Lord’s words in a literary form called parallelism. Parallelism occurs when a writer expresses an idea and then repeats or contrasts the idea using a similar sentence structure with different words. “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth” (Isaiah 1:2) is an example of parallelism. With these words, Isaiah invited all people everywhere to listen to the words the Lord had given him. Isaiah also used images to illustrate and help people visualize spiritual ideas. Read Isaiah 1:3–4, looking for images Isaiah used to teach about the rebelliousness of the people in Isaiah’s day.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s acrib: butIsrael doth not bknow, my people doth not consider.
It may help to know that a crib, as used in verse 3, is a feeding trough or manger where an animal receives food from its master. In this verse, Isaiah contrasted the ox and donkey with the rebellious Israelites, who did not know the Lord, their Master, and were not aware of the spiritual nourishment He had provided them.
4 Ah asinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, bchildren that are ccorrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto danger, they are gone away backward.
4aTG Man, Natural, Not Spiritually Reborn. bIsa. 57: 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not achildren of transgression, a seed of falsehood, cD&C 38: 11 (10-12) For all aflesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of bdarkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven— dTG Anger Because they can’t live with the doctrine in their sinful state, they have run away from it. This is inexcusable; God does not look upon it with forbearance. He knows that they are quite capable of understanding and living by the gospel. Accordingly, He is more than displeased; He is angry.—Nibley
In Isaiah 1:5–9, Isaiah used more imagery to describe the results of the people’s rebellion.
5 ¶ Why should ye be astricken any more? ye will brevolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart cfaint.
5a HEB smitten. b TG Rebellion. c HEB diseased. Yet it is not He who has been giving them a hard time. They decided to go their own way, openly revolting against Him. And their system is simply not working. They are not able to cope with the situation mentally, nor do they have the spirit to carry it through. Men on their own are pitiful objects.—Nibley
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been aclosed, neither bound up, neither bmollified with ointment.
a HEB squeezed out. bHEB softened. The whole thing is sick, sick, sick. Every attempt to correct the situation fails miserably. Nothing works.—Nibley
You are completely sick …and you don’t even care; you won’t try the simplest first aid. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p 1
7 Your acountryisbdesolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, cstrangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
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7 aDeut. 28:51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. bJer. 9:11; Micah 3:12; 2 Ne. 13:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. cTG Israel, Scattering of. The result is internal depression and international disaster.—Nibley
8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a avineyard, as ba lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. .
The phrase “daughter of Zion” refers to Jerusalem and her inhabitants.
“You are about as secure as a flimsy shade shack in a garden.” Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p 1
9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small aremnant, we should have been as Sodom, andwe should have been like unto Gomorrah.
aTG Israel, Remnant of. The Lord did not allow Judah to be entirely destroyed, but he intended a remnant to continue, possibly symbolized by the solitary shelter—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 3
In Isaiah 1:10–15 we learn that the people were giving “vain oblations” (Isaiah 1:13), or religious offerings given without real intent.
10 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of aSodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
aEzek. 16:46 And thine elder sisteris Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. (see also 44–55).
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your asacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I bdelight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
aTG Sacrifice. b1 Sam. 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lordas greatdelight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obeyis better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Isaiah describes in detail how his people are performing empty rituals. This counterfeit obedience is blasted by the Lord—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 3
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
“Who authorized you to be such hypocrites?” Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p 2
aTG Hypocrisy b1 Chr. 23:31 And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the Lord: (see also 28–32). cLam. 2:6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest. dMatt. 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching fordoctrines the commandments of men. eHEB endure. (Ps. 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.) fIsa. 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nearme with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: gTG Solemn Assembly.
The law appointed that at the new moon special sacrifices should be offered (Num. 10:10; see also 1 Sam. 20:5–6, 29; 2 Kgs. 4:23; Amos 8:5). The prophets often speak of “new moons” along with “Sabbaths.” As the days for all Jewish feasts were reckoned by the moon, the exact time of the appearance of the new moon was of great importance—Bible Dictionary:New Moon
14 Your new amoons and your appointed bfeasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am cweary to bear them.
In the ancient Israelite calendar, the new moon marked the beginning of each month, and the law of Moses decreed that certain sacrifices were to take place with each new moon. The “appointed feasts” (Isaiah 1:14), or annual feasts, included the Passover (or the Feast of Unleavened Bread), the Feast of Weeks (or the Feast of Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles (or the Feast of Ingathering). (See Bible Dictionary, “Feasts.”) During these religious ceremonies, Isaiah observed that the people were not giving their offerings with pure hearts or genuine sincerity. Thus, he explained that the Lord does not delight in or accept the emptiness of going through the outward motions of obedience without real intent.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many aprayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of bblood.
In Isaiah 1:16–31 we read that the Lord invited the Israelites to repent, and He warned them that if they did not change, they would continue to suffer and transgressors would be destroyed.
16 ¶ aWashyouye, make you bclean; put away the cevil of your doings from before mine eyes; dcease to do evil;
18Come now, and let us areason together, saith the LORD: though your bsins be as scarlet, they shall be as cwhite as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Cloth dyed with scarlet is color-fast [but] even though you think your sins are “colorfast,” the Atonement can cleanse you—a long process is required to get wool white, but it can be done—David Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p.2
Snow falls infrequently in Jerusalem, creating a pristine blanket of white. Scarlet is the color of blood. The image of white wool could refer to lambs washed for sacrifice—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 5
23 Thy aprincesare rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth bgifts, and followeth after rewards: they cjudge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
aTG Kings, Earthly. b IE bribes; TG Bribe; Ezek. 22:12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. cHEB “do not do justice to.” TG Judgment.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine aadversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
a D&C 101:58 And inasmuch as they gather together against you, avenge me of mine enemies, that by and by I may come with the residue of mine house and possess the land.
25 ¶ And I will aturn my hand upon thee, and purely bpurge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
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aHEB return; i.e., repeatedly chastise. b Jer. 9:7Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? Mal. 3:3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
26 And I will arestore thy judges as at the first, and thy bcounsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The ccity of righteousness, the faithful city.
28 ¶ And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall betogether, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
All the rest will have to go, but not because God chooses to throw them out. They will walk away from safety right into destruction; with eyes wide open they will forsake the Lord and be consumed.—Nibley, ibid.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the aoaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
aIE terebinth trees and gardens were used in idol worship. 29–31. These verses are the only references to paganism—popular cults that will wither and be burned up—not be destroyed, however, because they follow pagan manners or forms, as the doctors, ministers, and commentators love to tell us, but because they were part of the cover-up for avaricious, hard, and immoral practices.—Nibley, ibid.
30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 And the strong shall be aas tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both bburn together, and none shall quench them.
a IE as a tuft of inflammable fibers. b bIsa. 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them aredestroyed. (see also verses 16–21).
Okay, folks, that’s one chapter complete and just 65 more to go. Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section below.
In an LDS Perspectives Podcast released November 9, 2016, Laura Hales interviewed Joseph Spencer, author of Vision of All to answer that question. Here are a few excerpts from that interview.
“I look at Isaiah, the Book of Mormon, the apostle Paul — there is this emphasis on a covenant that was made with Abraham and his descendants, that governs the way God works with human beings through history.” He said to just “look at how carefully integrated Isaiah is into the Book of Mormon. Nephi’s doing something much more careful and much more theologically interesting” than just some preoccupation he has with Isaiah; his focus is the covenant they must keep in the new world.
Spencer cautioned readers to not “miss the richness, the theological depth of the claims the Book of Mormon is making with Isaiah. …Already in 1 Nephi, he tells you that the stuff at the core of 2 Nephi is his most important of the plain and the precious things he is recording, and then even in 1 Nephi, you’ve got Nephi quoting from Isaiah.”
He explained in a second narrative “hinge” using Isaiah, Abinidai “is prophesying at the time of Noah. People aren’t terribly happy with what he’s saying, so he ends up accused in a kind of trial setting. But Noah’s priests present him with a passage from Isaiah and say, ‘Interpret this passage. …it seems relatively clear from the context that they understand the passage to justify their power. They’re using it to say, ‘Oh, we are the people who Isaiah spoke about who have rebuilt Jerusalem.’ Meaning the land of Nephi, and who have allowed the Lord’s arm to be made bare in the eyes of all the nations, i.e. we’ve won battles against the Lamanites, etc. They see Isaiah saying, ‘This regime is the right one,’ and so on. Abinadi is forced to interpret this text in a way that is not going to justify corrupt power, and so he introduces a totally non-Nephi-like interpretation of Isaiah.
“You can see the Nephites saying, ‘Okay, if Abinadi is right and Isaiah is really just about Jesus, can we just talk about Jesus?’ And so for generations, and for one hundred years of the Book of Mormon, there’s no talk of Isaiah, really, at all.
“A third narrative hinge comes when Christ shows up, and he says, ‘Let’s go back to what Nephi was saying.’ I think, we’re relatively familiar with that because we like to quote Jesus saying, ‘Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of bIsaiah.’ …So, we know Jesus like’s Isaiah, but we don’t tend to look at what he has to say about him.
“What’s really striking is not only does He go back to reading Isaiah in a Nephi-like way …he uses the very passage that Noah’s priests presented to Abinadi, and he interprets it in terms of the covenant and the history of Israel rather than in terms of the coming of Jesus.
“We have Christ himself saying, ‘Yeah, maybe that’s about me in a certain way, but he refocuses Isaiah on the covenant and on Israel’s history, and especially on the future of Israel’s history. The remnants of Israel, the New World, Lamanite’s to survive into the present, and the role they have in relation to gentile Christianity brought from Europe.
Then he “likens the “whole story and says we can find, in Isaiah, a clear pattern for understanding what’s at stake … and it’s important for us to read them in Isaiah’s context, and history, and setting and then recognize the Book of Mormon is tampering in a good way — in a theologically productive way with Isaiah. Nephi himself emphasizes the importance of understanding the manner of prophesying among the Jews.
“The Book of Mormon was written to the remnant of Israel to show what great things the Lord has done for their fathers, and also to the convincing of Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ. Its primary purpose is to focus on the Abrahamic covenant and the way the Book of Mormon makes sense of the Abrahamic covenant is through Isaiah.”
For lesson 38, ‘Beside Me, There Is No Savior’ we will help each other understand that Jesus Christ is incomparable in his devotion to his people and that he has a great work for them to do.
To prepare for class carefully study Isaiah 40–49 and review these verses. But, As you read each passage, look for answers to the following questions: Which attribute of the Savior is mentioned in this passage? How does knowledge of this attribute help increase our faith in the Savior?
“Isaiah’s metaphoric use of eagles’ wings is also echoed in modern scripture where the Lord promises Lyman Wight that if he is faithful the Lord will “bear him up as on eagles’ wings; and he shall beget glory and honor to himself and unto my name.” (D&C 124:18.) In the same revelation, the Lord promises William Law that as he serves the Lord, he will receive great powers and blessings including the promise that “he shall mount up in the imagination of his thoughts as upon eagles’ wings.” (D&C 124:99.) Other phraseology from Isaiah’s promise is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. For example, those who keep the Word of Wisdom are promised that they shall “run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.” (D&C 89:20; compare Isa. 40:31, KJV.)1
The Lord has waited a long time for this restoration, and he now promises to restore Israel and not forsake her. This latter-day restoration will stand forever, as shown to Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted for him by the prophet Daniel (see Daniel chapter 2, especially verse 44).2
Verses 1 and 7 use the Hebrew terms baurau and yatzar, two verbs of creation in Genesis that are used again here. “I have redeemed thee”—once again the future perfect tense is used (see commentary at Isaiah 3:8–11).
Verse 2: Compare Doctrine and Covenants 122. Our loving, personal God reassures each of us: “When thou passest through the waters [of affliction], I will be with thee . . . when thou walkest through the [refiner’s] fire, thou shalt not be burned.”
Verse 3: Jehovah promises to come as Savior.
Verse 4: Again, the loving nature of the Servant is identified.3
The Lord reminds the children of Israel of their preferred status as his servants (44:21), adding that he will forgive them and forget their sins if they will return to him. Indeed, the Atonement has already been firmly decreed, and mankind’s sins can be blotted out by the Redeemer (44:22). Because of this great gift of redemption, all of God’s creations sing praises to him (44:23).4
This particular chapter contains one of my personal favorite verses, verse 16, which contains beautiful Atonement symbolism.…I will be crucified for you. Just as a workman’s hands bear witness of his profession, his type of work, so shall nail prints in My hands bear witness of My love for you.…I know where you live, see you continuously, and I will not forget you.5
Babylon is often used in the scriptures as a symbol for the wickedness of the world. What are the results of seeking after the ways of the world? (See Isaiah 47:1, 5, 7–11.)
SearchIsaiah.org offers study materials for chapters 48–49 below:
What has the Lord promised to those who seek him rather than the world? (See Isaiah 48:17–18.)
Many of the prophecies in Isaiah 49 apply both to the work of the Savior and to the work of his servants. What does Isaiah 49:1–6 teach about our responsibilities in the latter days?
This month I started a new job. I will still be blogging for the Boy Scouts, but I also get to help with the YSA Social Media Mission and Search Isaiah. It always good for me every few years to have a change in my job, that way I keep interested in what I am doing. However, the chance to search and write about Isaiah will be much more than that.
For as long as I have been married, which is more than 40 years, the Church has cycled the Standard Works as the Sunday School curriculum every four years, although once, they studied the Old and New Testaments for two years each. That meant I would face Isaiah at least twice every four years, one time in the Old Testament and a second time in the Book of Mormon.
It was during one of those early study cycles I took out a book, The Tetrapla (shown above), I had purchased on my mission. Tetraplas are Bibles or Testaments that arrange four versions of the same verse side by side. Mine had the Martin Luther translation, the Zurich in German, a modern German translation, and the New English translation. Naturally, this helped me learn German, but it also gave me insights into meanings of various verses
This gave birth to an idea I had about how to understand Isaiah. In the first column, I would list the Luther translation, since Joseph Smith said,
“I have an old edition of the New Testament in the Latin, Hebrew, German and Greek languages. I have been reading the German, and find it to be the most [nearly] correct translation, and to correspond nearest to the revelations which God has given to me for the last fourteen years.”
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 349)
Since I did not know other languages, I included King James, Book of Mormon Isaiah verses and a modern English translation, for comparison. Perhaps if I did this nowadays I might insert the full Joseph Smith Translation.
German Luther
King James
Book of Mormon
American Standard
Jesaja 48
Isaiah Chapter 48
1 Nephi 20
Isaiah 48
1 Höret das, ihr vom Hause Jakob, die ihr heißet mit Namen Israel und aus dem Wasser Juda’s geflossen seid; die ihr schwöret bei dem Namen des HERRN und gedenkt des Gottes in Israel, aber nicht in der Wahrheit noch Gerechtigkeit.
1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
1 Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.
1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
This project was nothing more than an idea and at the time, I was working in Richfield, Utah full time. During the summer, preparing for my student teaching at the Richfield High School LDS Seminary, I discovered how much I liked research and lesson preparation. It was a New Testament course, so I set aside the Isaiah project altogether—it was onerous anyway in those days without computers and the internet.
A few years later, Isaiah came up in the Sunday School Curriculum, so I tried it again, but with a new twist. The church had changed the way the scriptures were laid out and the new footnotes and Topical Guide offered insights I needed to record, so I tried again, but just wrote in the margins, added sticky notes and underlined a lot. However, when the internet was born and the Church got all those resources integrated, I tried a new technique.
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH CHAPTER 1
Israel is apostate, rebellious, and corrupt; a very small remnant only is faithful—Their sacrifices and feasts are rejected—They are called upon to repent and work righteousness—Zion shall be redeemed in the day of restoration. JST Isa. 1 Chapter Heading Judah’s rebellion—Promises and threatenings.
THE avision of bIsaiah• the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning cJudah and Jerusalem in the days of dUzziah•, eJotham•, fAhaz•, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
1aTG Visions. b1 Ne. 19: 23 (23-24)23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the abooks• of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet bIsaiah•; for I did cliken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our dprofit• and learning. 3 Ne. 23: 1.AND now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to asearch these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of bIsaiah•. c TG Israel, Judah, People of d 2 Kgs. 15: 13 (1-13) Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of aUzziah• king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. Hosea 1: 1 THE word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of aUzziah•, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. e 2 Kgs. 15: 30, 38 (13-38)30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of aJotham• the son of Uzziah. Micah 1: 1 THE word of the LORD that came to aMicah• the Morasthite in the days of bJotham•, cAhaz•, anddHezekiah•, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. f 2 Kgs. 16: 20 (19-20) And aAhaz• slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
My Isaiah thing is just a hobby and with my recent move to a new job, new computer and renewed interest in Isaiah, it’s time to start over. Maybe something like The Tetrapla or like what I was doing above. I think I will get a few new books, commentaries on Isaiah and study those too.
When I first got serious about Isaiah, in the 1990’s, I found it interesting that Nephi, the Savior [and other Book of Mormon writers] chose 433 verses from Isaiah to include in the book of Mormon. In all, twenty-one chapters of Isaiah are quoted (Chapters 2-14, 29, and 48-54) partially or entirely. Together these represent about one-third of the book of Isaiah.
As Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he made corrections in more than half of the verses from Isaiah. When I found changes I have marked, them this way: [additions] and [deletions] in red. Footnotes from the 1981 LDS version of the Scriptures appear in the right column, with the most important highlighted. Other commentaries are marked in green.
Of the verses quoted from Isaiah, 234 of 433 differ from the King James version (see note to 2 Nephi 12:2a). And, all of this was just sitting in the footnotes of my 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon.
Because of that, I decided to try a new way to study Isaiah; I looked at each footnote, listed it and looked for related commentary. Before I had a computer I wrote many side notes in my scriptures and later filled them with post-it notes, but with the computer, this became much easier.
I have been going back through these books for years now, so there is no real rhyme or reason to this, but here is the first chapter as I have outlined it:
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH
CHAPTER 1
Israel is apostate, rebellious, and corrupt; a very small remnant only is faithful—Their sacrifices and feasts are rejected—They are called upon to repent and work righteousness—Zion shall be redeemed in the day of restoration. Joseph Smith Translation (JST) Isa. 1 Chapter Heading Judah’s rebellion—Promises and threatenings. David J Ridges, in Isaiah Made Easier, states: “Chapter 1 is a preface to the whole book of Isaiah, much like D&C section 1 is to the whole Doctrine and Covenants”
1aTG Visions. b 1 Ne. 19: 23 (23-24)23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. 3 Ne. 23: 1 AND now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. Isaiah in Hebrew is yeshayahu and means “Jehovah saves” cTG Israel, Judah, People of d2 Kgs. 15: 13 (1-13) Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria. Hosea 1: 1 THE word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. e2 Kgs. 15: 30, 38 (13-38)30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. Micah 1: 1 THE word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, andHezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. f2 Kgs. 16: 20 (19-20) And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
The reigns of Uzziah (Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah occurred in the late 700s BC. See 2 Kgs 14–21 and 2 Chr 26–32. Uzziah, Jotham, and Hezekiah are described as mostly righteous. Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 2
2aHear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have brebelled against me.
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THEME: Rebellion against the lord 2aDeut. 32: 1GIVE ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.D&C 1: 1 (1-2)HEARKEN, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyesare upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together. D&C 76: 1HEAR, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is noSavior. bDeut. 32: 19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorredthem, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s acrib: butIsrael doth not bknow, my people doth not consider.
4 Ah asinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, bchildren that are ccorrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto danger, they are gone away backward..
4aTG Man, Natural, Not Spiritually Reborn. bIsa. 57: 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not achildren of transgression, a seed of falsehood, cD&C 38: 11 (10-12) For all aflesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of bdarkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven— dTG Anger
5 ¶ Why should ye be astricken any more? ye will brevolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart cfaint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been aclosed, neither bound up, neither bmollified with ointment.
a HEB squeezed out. bHEB softened. You are completely sick; you are sick and you don’t even care; you won’t try the simplest first aid. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p 1
7 Your acountryisbdesolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, cstrangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
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7 aDeut. 28:51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. bJer. 9:11; Micah 3:12; 2 Ne. 13:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. cTG Israel, Scattering of.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a avineyard, as ba lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. .
aTG Vineyard of the Lord. bIE a watchman’s hut. “You are about as secure as a flimsy shade shack in a garden.” Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p 1
9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small aremnant, we should have been as Sodom, andwe should have been like unto Gomorrah.
aTG Israel, Remnant of. The Lord did not allow Judah to be entirely destroyed, but he intended a remnant to continue, possibly symbolized by the solitary shelter—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 3
10 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of aSodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
aEzek. 16:46 And thine elder sisteris Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, isSodom and her daughters. ( see also 44–55).
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your asacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I bdelight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
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Theme: Religious ceremonies without meaning or faith aTG Sacrifice. b1 Sam. 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lordas greatdelight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obeyis better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Isaiah describes in detail how his people are performing empty rituals. This counterfeit obedience is blasted by the Lord—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 3
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
“Who authorized you to be such hypocrites?” Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p 2
aTG Hypocrisy b1 Chr. 23:31 And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the Lord: (see also 28–32). Bible DictionaryNew Moon:
The law appointed that at the new moon special sacrifices should be offered (Num. 10:10; see also 1 Sam. 20:5–6, 29; 2 Kgs. 4:23; Amos 8:5). The prophets often speak of “new moons” along with “Sabbaths.” As the days for all Jewish feasts were reckoned by the moon, the exact time of the appearance of the new moon was of great importance. cLam. 2:6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest. dMatt. 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching fordoctrines the commandments of men. eHEB endure. (Ps. 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.) fIsa. 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nearme with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: gTG Solemn Assembly.
14 Your new amoons and your appointed bfeasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am cweary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many aprayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of bblood.
18 Come now, and let us areason together, saith the LORD: though your bsins be as scarlet, they shall be as cwhite as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
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aD&C 50:10 And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand; bTG Forgive; Sin. cTG Purification. Snow falls infrequently in Jerusalem, creating a pristine blanket of white. Scarlet is the color of blood. The image of white wool could refer to lambs washed for sacrifice—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 5
21 ¶ How is the faithful city become an aharlot! it was full of bjudgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
aTG Apostasy of Israel. The harlot is often used as a symbol for those who have prostituted their covenants with God.—Madsen and Hopkin, Opening Isaiah: a Harmony, p 5 b OR justice.
22 Thy silver is become adross, thy wine mixed with water:
23 Thy aprincesare rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth bgifts, and followeth after rewards: they cjudge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
aTG Kings, Earthly. b IE bribes; TG Bribe; Ezek. 22:12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. cHEB “do not do justice to.” TG Judgment.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine aadversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
a D&C 101:58 And inasmuch as they gather together against you, avenge me of mine enemies, that by and by I may come with the residue of mine house and possess the land.
25 ¶ And I will aturn my hand upon thee, and purely bpurge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
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aHEB return; i.e., repeatedly chastise. b Jer. 9:7Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? Mal. 3:3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
26 And I will arestore thy judges as at the first, and thy bcounsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The ccity of righteousness, the faithful city.
28 ¶ And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall betogether, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the aoaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
aIE terebinth trees and gardens used in idol worship.
30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 And the strong shall be aas tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both bburn together, and none shall quench them.
a IE as a tuft of inflammable fibers. b bIsa. 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them aredestroyed. (see also verses 16–21).
With the expanded footnotes and all, still feel like this is just not getting me anywhere anymore, maybe I need a new approach. I have an idea I will share in the next post.
I fell in love with this book nearly as soon as I picked it up because it helped me along in my journey of discovery through the Book of Isaiah—you will see its evidence in all my posts.
Book Description:
Judy in Sandy, Utah says, “Victor Ludlow not only makes Isaiah understandable, but he brings him to life! My testimony of the Book of Mormon has grown leaps and bounds after reading this book. I love the poetry and symbolism of Isaiah and this book helps me to understand and appreciate it all the more.”
Goodreads says this of the book: “In the treasure chest of the Book of Mormon scriptures, gems of Isaiah seem to be locked away in secure compartments. This book opens these Isaiah compartments and polishes the precious gems of his prophetic wisdom and symbolic poetry. Including chapters about Isaiah as prophet and poet, Isaiah and the brass plates of Laban, and Isaiah’s message for Latter-day Saints, this insightful volume will enhance your study of the Book of Mormon and give you a greater appreciation for the priceless contributions of the Prophet Isaiah.”
Personally, I could not have said it any better! However, Ludlow’s treatment of Isaiah is just the chapters in the Book of Mormon. Nonetheless, his seminal work, Isaiah, Prophet, Seer, and Poet, written nearly 40 years ago, offers extensive commentary on all the verses in the entire Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah was born around 750 years before Christ in Jerusalem. His father was Amoz and Jewish tradition says he was of royal descent, and he may have been a cousin to King Uzziah. This may have given him access to the kings of Judah in Jerusalem.
Isaiah served as a prophet in Jerusalem for about 40 years (approximately 740–701 B.C.), during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It was written sometime during his ministry (approximately 740–701 B.C.). Since that ministry was centered in Jerusalem, this is the most likely location of the book’s origin.
“Tradition states that he was ‘sawn asunder’ during the reign of Manasseh” (Bible Dictionary, “Isaiah”).
Isaiah’s full name would have been “Isaiah (first name) Son of Amoz (last name)”. His name in Hebrew is YHWH which means “The Lord is Salvation.”
With a name like that, of course, he was destined for big things.
We all know there are Ten Commandments. We can probably list others too, but the one directly from the Savior’s mouth in 3 Nephi 12:1 to search the words of Isaiah diligently, is a tough one for me.
I have been trying to keep it for quite a few years, albeit pretty half-heartedly. About the time word processing became available, the scriptures were put on on CD/DVDs. I worked through the footnotes, maps and stuff in the Bible Dictionary to help understand this puzzling book. Then I got serious about outlining and comparing verses of Isaiah with the Book of Mormon, with conference talks, and had it all spelled out, but only for a couple of dozen chapters.
Still, with all that effort, I felt like I didn’t quite grasp Isaiah yet. Worse, all my work was lost when I changed jobs and got a new laptop computer; somewhere, somehow my backups were gone.
It was a really cool project too. One that I worked on for about 20 years. But the lost work gives me chance to start all over and I this time I can share my discoveries with you in time for our September Sunday School Classes.
Currently, I am searching out the best commentaries on Isaiah, taking an adult Institute class on Isaiah, and I am looking for multiple translations to help me dig deeper into all 66 chapters of this book. This is all coming together in an exciting way for me, but look, I am no master of ancient scripture. I am just interested in keeping this commandment from the Savior and hope you will join me in discovering Isaiah.
Now that your Instagram feed is back to “normal” and the spots in your eyes are gone… I need your attention. I’ll spend $7000 make sure you understand, so stick with me.
On August 21st, millions of Americans watched the sun disappear. The finest photographers, journalists, scientists, and internet-jokers stepped forward.
Now here is what bothers Pop to the point of picking up the pen today. I’m troubled that as God moved in the heavens, the street poets were mute, songwriters were stoic, and dancers stood motionless looking at the sky… just like the rest of us.
The artists of the soul did nothing, while artists of the mind (the photographers and journalists) did the heavy lifting. Rappers? Painters? Dancers? Singers? Impressionists? Instrumentalists? Where the hell were you?
From the dawn of man it’s been your job to offer us depth and opinion! Today your job is to offer meaning amidst the drivel of the internet! Scare me! Heal me. Make me believe again. Do something to my heart please! I wanted you take me by the hand and make me feel again… but at the eclipse you didn’t.
I’m no poet, but allow Pop a little haiku.
Today I went dark
You wondered ‘where to get shades’
and missed the point- God
Maybe I’m being a bit rash, but then maybe I’m not. Is it too much of a stretch to suggest that God conducts the pattern of the heavens?
Where were you during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake? 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami? 2005 Kashmir Earthquake? 2003 Euro Heat Wave? Hurricane Katrina? Droughts in Africa?
Were you asking the big questions with your art? Where will you be when Hurricane Harvey subsides? Hopefully at a fundraiser. But will you be singing the same old songs?
If you believe in the God that I do, then you might also believe that God is concerned with humankind. You might believe that God warns and that God inspires.
You might believe that he allows floods to flow, lights to be blocked, stars to move, hurricanes to blow, and earth to quake… all to teach us. You might also believe that God moves mountains, parts seas, and calms storms.
If you believe it too, then convince me. Inspire me. *I don’t want to hear another song about your boyfriend.
Your art has prettied it’s facade and lost it’s soul.
Glory Induced Blindness is to observe nature without asking ‘why’.
Please, no more missing the message of a constellation in motion, the promise of a rainbow, and the warning of storm clouds.
To my Artists of the Soul, here are some prompts to help you get your mojo back:
*I’ll refer to a storm, but you can plug in any movement of nature*
Is this storm a warning or pep talk?
When have we seen this before?
*If it’s big, it’s not new (Pop will write more on that later, but for now look at history, study the Bible)
Where did the storm find me?
Where did the storm take me?
Where did the storm leave me?
What is the one clarion message that I took from the eye of the storm?
You might ask me, “But what if I’m wrong? What if it is just a meaningless natural occurrence and I’m making a fool of myself?”
I would answer, “perhaps you’re right on this one.”
But Pop doesn’t believe in coincidences.
– Pop
P.S. – just in case you are still seeing spots, remember it’s quicker to get into an optometrist than and ophthalmologist.
P.P.S.– About the $7000. I’m going to reward it to the artists that can move me. Some young friends helped me make an art contest on Facebook, Click here to enter.
However, be millennial and try to read Isaiah—try and see how long your attention will last on that book. When your mind is going from Instagram to Twitter, to Snapchat to Texts, to what music is playing through your headphones, to school, work, to Facebook, to the many dating apps; it’s very difficult to try and spend quality time in the scriptures let alone Isaiah.
Jesus said, “Great are the words of Isaiah
Isaiah was born around 750 years before Christ in Jerusalem. His father was Amoz and Jewish tradition says he was of royal descent, and he may have been a cousin to King Uzziah. This may have given him access to the kings of Judah in Jerusalem.
