Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 52 is THE PROCLAMATION OF GOOD NEWS chapter — verse 7's 'how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news' cited at Romans 10:15. Verse 11's 'depart, depart, go out from there' cited at 2 Cor 6:17. The chapter ends with the FOURTH SERVANT-SONG'S OPENING (vv. 13–15), introducing-the-suffering-and-exalted-Servant who-will-be-described-in-chapter-53.
Notable Variants
52:5 'my name is blasphemed' → Romans 2:24; 52:7 'beautiful feet of him who brings good news' → Romans 10:15; 52:11 'depart, depart' → 2 Cor 6:17; 52:13–15 FOURTH SERVANT-SONG opens; 52:15 'kings shut their mouths' → Romans 15:21.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 52 = LXX Isaiah 52. 15 verses. FOURTH SERVANT-SONG opens at v. 13 (continues through ch. 53).
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall enter you no more.
'Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean' tracks MT. AWAKE-AWAKE — Zion's-call. Revelation 21:2 ('the holy city, new Jerusalem') extends.
Shake yourself from the dust; arise! Take your seat, O Jerusalem. Loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
'Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion' tracks MT.
For this is what the LORD says: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.
'For thus says the LORD: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money' tracks MT. REDEEMED-WITHOUT-MONEY. 1 Pet 1:18–19 ('you were ransomed not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ') Christologically-fulfills.
For this is what the Lord GOD says: My people went down to Egypt at first to sojourn there, and Assyria oppressed them for nothing.
'For thus says the Lord GOD: My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing' tracks MT.
Now therefore what do I have here, declares the LORD, seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail, declares the LORD, and continually all the day my name is despised.
'Now therefore what have I here, declares the LORD, seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail, declares the LORD, and continually all the day my name is despised' tracks MT. ROMANS 2:24 CITATION. 'For, as it is written, THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU (di hymas to onoma tou theou blasphēmeitai en tois ethnesin).' Paul applies-this-Isaiah-rebuke to-hypocritical-Jewish-conduct shaming-the-divine-name.
Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak: Here I am.
'Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I' tracks MT.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Masoretic (WLC)
מַה־נָּאווּ עַל־הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion: Your God reigns!
Septuagint (LXX)
ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά ὅτι ἀκουστὴν ποιήσω τὴν σωτηρίαν σου λέγων Σιων βασιλεύσει σου ὁ θεός
How beautiful are the feet on the mountains of him who brings good news, of peace, who brings good news of good things, that I will make your salvation heard, saying to Zion: Your God shall reign
ROMANS 10:15 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at Romans 10:15 in his missions-mandate: 'And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written: HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS! (hōs hōraioi hoi podes tōn euangelizomenōn agatha).' Paul-deploys-this-verse as-the-scriptural-foundation for-the-gospel-mission. The EUANGELIZOMENOI (gospel-bringers) — the missionaries — have-feet-prophetically-celebrated.
GOSPEL-VOCABULARY ROOTS. The Greek root EUANGEL (gospel, good-news) appears-here-twice in-LXX-Isaiah-52:7 (euangelizomenou, euangelizomenos). The verse is-foundational for-the-NT's-gospel-vocabulary.
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they sing for joy, for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
'The voice of your watchmen — they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion' tracks MT. EYE-TO-EYE divine-return.
Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.
'Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem' tracks MT.
The LORD has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
'The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God' tracks MT. ALL-ENDS-OF-EARTH-SHALL-SEE-SALVATION. Luke 3:6 (citing Isa 40:5 LXX 'all flesh shall see the salvation of God') Christologically-extends.
Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.
Masoretic (WLC)
סוּרוּ סוּרוּ צְאוּ מִשָּׁם טָמֵא אַל־תִּגָּעוּ צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ הִבָּרוּ נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי יְהוָה
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD
Septuagint (LXX)
ἀπόστητε ἀπόστητε ἐξέλθατε ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε ἐξέλθατε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῆς ἀφορίσθητε οἱ φέροντες τὰ σκεύη κυρίου
Depart, depart, go out from there, and touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be separate, you who bear the vessels of the Lord
2 CORINTHIANS 6:17 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at-2 Cor 6:17: 'Therefore: GO OUT FROM THEIR MIDST, AND BE SEPARATE FROM THEM, says the Lord, AND TOUCH NO UNCLEAN THING; then I will welcome you.' Paul applies-the-Babylon-departure-call to-Christian-separation from-pagan-environment. The COME-OUT theology.
For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
'For you shall not go out in haste, neither shall you go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard' tracks MT. LORD-BEFORE / GOD-AS-REARGUARD. Pillar-of-cloud-and-fire-Exodus echoed.
Behold, my servant shall prosper; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exceedingly exalted.
'Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted' tracks MT. FOURTH-SERVANT-SONG begins. HIGH-AND-LIFTED-UP — the same-vocabulary applied to-YHWH at-Isa 6:1 ('I saw the Lord HIGH AND LIFTED UP'). The Servant-shares-divine-exaltation. Phil 2:9 ('God highly exalted him') Christologically-extends.
As many were astonished at him — his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of men —
'As many were astonished at you — his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind' tracks MT. APPEARANCE-MARRED. Christologically — Christ's-disfigurement at-the-cross. Mark 15:17–19 (mocking-with-thorns-and-purple) extends.
so shall he startle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall understand.
Masoretic (WLC)
כֵּן יַזֶּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים עָלָיו יִקְפְּצוּ מְלָכִים פִּיהֶם כִּי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־סֻפַּר לָהֶם רָאוּ וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ
So shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand
Septuagint (LXX)
οὕτως θαυμάσονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ καὶ συνέξουσιν βασιλεῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ὅτι οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν
So shall many nations marvel at him, and kings shall shut their mouths; for those to whom it was not told concerning him shall see, and those who have not heard shall understand
ROMANS 15:21 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at Romans 15:21 verbatim-from-LXX: 'But as it is written: THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD OF HIM WILL SEE, AND THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD WILL UNDERSTAND (hois ouk anēngelē peri autou opsontai, kai hoi ouk akēkoasin synēsousin).' Paul applies-the-verse to-his-Gentile-mission — bringing-the-message to-those-who-had-never-heard.
LXX-vs-MT DIVERGENCE — KEY. The MT has 'he shall sprinkle (yazzeh) many nations' — sacrificial-cleansing imagery (priestly-vocabulary). The LXX renders 'many-nations-shall-marvel' (thaumasontai). The two-readings diverge-significantly. Paul's-citation follows-LXX. The MT's-sprinkling reading is-the-stronger Christological — the Servant's-blood-sprinkling cleansing-the-nations (cf. Heb 12:24's 'sprinkled blood that speaks a better word').