Chapter Overview
Summary
LXX Isaiah is one of the LXX's MOST INTERPRETIVELY-CHARGED translations — the Greek-translator regularly contemporized the prophet's words for Hellenistic-Jewish-readers, and several of his distinctive renderings (e.g., parthenos at 7:14) became foundational for Christological-exegesis. The book opens with the Lord's-courtroom-indictment of-Judah (vv. 2–9), the prophetic-critique of empty-cult (vv. 10–17), and the famous 'come now, let us reason together' invitation (vv. 18–20). Verse 9's 'unless the LORD of hosts had left us a few survivors' is cited at Romans 9:29.
Notable Variants
1:9 'remnant left to us' → Romans 9:29 verbatim-LXX; 1:18 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow'; 1:11 'I have had enough of burnt offerings' prophetic-cult-critique; LXX-Isaiah's interpretive-paraphrase tendency.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 1 = LXX Isaiah 1. 31 verses.
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah — kings of Judah.
'The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah' tracks MT. FOUR-KING SUPERSCRIPTION places Isaiah's ministry c. 740–686 BCE. The Greek-translator places-Hēsaias as title; medieval Hebrew traditions confirm the prophetic-vision (chazon) heading.
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: "Children I raised and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me' tracks MT. HEAVEN-AND-EARTH-AS-WITNESSES (// Deut 32:1, Ps 50:4) — covenant-lawsuit-format. Children-rebelled — the parental-imagery.
An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's feeding trough — but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
'The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand' tracks MT. OX-AND-DONKEY-KNOW. Christmas-tradition (Christ-in-the-manger surrounded by-ox-and-donkey) draws on this verse + Habakkuk 3:2 LXX. The animals-recognize-master while Israel does not.
Woe, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned their backs.
'Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged' tracks MT. 'HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL' (qedosh yisra'el / hagios Israēl) — Isaiah's signature divine-title (25 occurrences in Isaiah).
Why do you keep inviting more blows? Why do you continue to rebel? The whole head is diseased, and the whole heart is faint.
'Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint' tracks MT. WHOLE-HEAD-SICK national-disease imagery.
From the sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness in it — only wounds, welts, and raw, open sores. They have not been pressed out, nor bandaged, nor softened with oil.
'From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil' tracks MT. NO-SOUNDNESS — anthropological-pessimism applied-to-the-nation.
Your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire. Your soil — right before your eyes, foreigners devour it, and it lies desolate, as overthrown by invaders.
'Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners' tracks MT.
And Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.
'And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city' tracks MT. DAUGHTER-OF-ZION isolated. The 'booth-in-a-vineyard' is the harvest-watchman's-temporary-shelter.
If the LORD of Hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
Masoretic (WLC)
לוּלֵי יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת הוֹתִיר לָנוּ שָׂרִיד כִּמְעָט כִּסְדֹם הָיִינוּ לַעֲמֹרָה דָּמִינוּ
If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ εἰ μὴ κύριος σαβαωθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα ὡς Σοδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γομορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν
And if the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah
ROMANS 9:29 CITATION. Paul cites this verse VERBATIM-FROM-LXX at Romans 9:29: 'And as Isaiah predicted: IF THE LORD OF HOSTS HAD NOT LEFT US OFFSPRING, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE SODOM AND BECOME LIKE GOMORRAH (ei mē kyrios Sabaōth egkatelipen hēmin sperma, hōs Sodoma an egenēthēmen kai hōs Gomorra an hōmoiōthēmen).' The citation is exact.
REMNANT-AS-SEED. The LXX renders the Hebrew sarid ('survivor, remnant') as sperma ('seed') — preserving the agricultural-eschatological connotation. Paul deploys-this in Rom 9–11's REMNANT-THEOLOGY as the seed-of-future-restoration. 'Sabaoth' is the transliterated Hebrew tzeva'ot (hosts) preserved in Greek-and-NT and even-in modern-liturgical-tradition (the Sanctus's 'Lord God of hosts').
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
'Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!' tracks MT. JUDAH-CALLED-SODOM. Shocking rhetorical-reversal — Judah's-leaders compared-to-the-paradigm-cities-of-judgment.
"What are your many sacrifices to me?" says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. In the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats I take no pleasure.
'What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats' tracks MT. PROPHETIC-CULT-CRITIQUE. Joins 1 Sam 15:22, Ps 40:6, 51:16, Hos 6:6, Mic 6:6–8, Jer 7:21–23 family. Hebrews 10:5–10 develops Christologically.
When you come to appear before me, who asked this of you — this trampling of my courts?
'When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?' tracks MT.
Stop bringing worthless grain offerings! Incense — it is an abomination to me. New moons, Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure wickedness alongside sacred gathering.
'Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations — I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly' tracks MT. Worship-without-ethics — divine-rejection.
Your new moons and your appointed festivals — my soul hates them. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
'Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them' tracks MT.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even when you multiply your prayers, I am not listening — your hands are full of blood.
'When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood' tracks MT. HANDS-FULL-OF-BLOOD. James 4:8 ('cleanse your hands, you sinners') extends. Pilate's hand-washing (Matt 27:24) ironically-invokes.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes. Stop doing evil!
'Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil' tracks MT. WASH-YOURSELVES. Hebrews 10:22 ('hearts sprinkled clean … bodies washed with pure water') Christologically extends.
Learn to do good. Pursue justice, set right the oppressor, defend the orphan, plead the cause of the widow.
'Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause' tracks MT. SEVEN ETHICAL IMPERATIVES. James 1:27 ('to visit orphans and widows in their affliction') Christologically extends.
"Come now, let us settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they will become like wool.
'Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool' tracks MT. COME-NOW-LET-US-REASON. Psalm 51:7 ('wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow') extends. Revelation 7:14 ('washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb') Christologically completes.
If you are willing and obey, you will eat the good of the land.
'If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land' tracks MT.
But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword" — for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
'But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken' tracks MT.
How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was once full of justice; righteousness lodged in her — but now, murderers.
'How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers' tracks MT. FAITHFUL-CITY-A-WHORE. Idolatry-as-prostitution metaphor (Hosea-tradition). Revelation 17 (Babylon-the-whore) Christologically extends.
Your silver has become dross, your wine diluted with water.
'Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water' tracks MT. SILVER-DROSS — moral-degradation imagery.
Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves. Every one of them loves a bribe and chases after payoffs. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow's case never reaches them.
'Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them' tracks MT.
Therefore — declares the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel — "I will get relief from my adversaries and avenge myself on my enemies.
'Therefore the Lord declares, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes' tracks MT.
I will turn my hand against you and smelt away your dross as with lye, and remove all your impurities.
'I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy' tracks MT. SMELT-AWAY-DROSS — refining-imagery. Malachi 3:2–3's 'refiner's fire' parallel.
I will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called 'The City of Righteousness,' 'The Faithful City.'"
'And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city' tracks MT. RESTORATION-PROMISE. Hebrews 12:22 ('the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem') Christologically completes.
Zion will be redeemed through justice, and her repentant ones through righteousness.
'Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness' tracks MT. ZION-REDEEMED-BY-JUSTICE. Romans 11:26 ('the Deliverer will come from Zion') Christologically extends.
But rebels and sinners will be shattered together, and those who abandon the LORD will perish.
'But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed' tracks MT.
For they will be ashamed of the sacred oaks you desired, and you will be humiliated by the gardens you chose.
'For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen' tracks MT. OAKS-AND-GARDENS — pagan-cult-sites.
For you will be like an oak whose leaves wither, and like a garden with no water.
'For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water' tracks MT.
The strong man will become tinder, and his work a spark — they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.
'And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them' tracks MT. NONE-TO-QUENCH closing — eschatological-fire imagery. Mark 9:48 ('where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched') Christologically extends.