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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: Appendix 11

By Alfred Edersheim


      ON THE PROPHECY, IS. XL. 3

      (See vol. i. Book II. ch. xi. p. 260, Note 2.)

      ACCORDING to the Synoptic Gospels, the public appearance and preaching of John was the fulfilment of the prediction with which the second part of the prophecies of Isaiah opens, called by the Rabbis, the book of consolations.' After a brief general preface (Is. xl. 1, 2), the words occur which are quoted by St. Matthew and St. Mark (Is. xl. 3), and more fully by St. Luke (Is. xl. 3-5). A more appropriate beginning of the book of consolations' could scarcely be conceived.

      The quotation of Is. xl. 3 is made according to the LXX., the only difference being the change of paths of our God' into His paths.' The divergences between the LXX. and our Hebrew text of Is. xl. 4, 5 are somewhat more numerous, but equally unimportant - the main difference from the Hebrew original lying in this, that, instead of rendering all flesh shall see it together,' we have in the LXX. and the New Testament, all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' As it can scarcely be supposed that the LXX. read {hebrew} for {hebrew}, we must regard their rendering as Targumic. Lastly, although according to the accents in the Hebrew Bible we should read, The Voice of one crying: In the wilderness prepare,' &c., yet, as alike the LXX., the Targum, and the synoptists render, The Voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare,' their testimony must be regarded as outweighing the authority of the accents, which are of so much later date.

      But the main question is, whether Is. xl. 3, &c., refers to Messianic times or not. Most modern interpreters regard it as applying to the return of the exiles from Babylon. This is not the place to enter on a critical discussion of the passage; but it may be remarked that the insertion of the word salvation' in v.5 by the LXX. seems to imply that they had viewed it as Messianic. It is, at any rate, certain that the Synopists so understood the rendering of the LXX. But this is not all. The quotation from Is. xl. was regarded by the Evangelists as fulfiled, when John the Baptist announced the coming Kingdom of God. We have proof positive that, on the supposition of the correctness of the announcement made by John, they only took the view of their contemporaries in applying Is. lx. 3, &c., to the preaching of the Baptist. The evidence here seems to be indisputable, for the Targum renders the close of v. 9 (say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!') by the words: Say to the cities of the House of Judah, the Kingdom of your God shall be manifested.'

      In fact, according to the Targum, the good tidings' are not brought by Zion nor by Jerusalem, but to Zion and to Jerusalem.

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See Also:
   Preface To The First Edition
   Preface To The Second And Third Editions
   Book 1: Chapter 1
   Book 1: Chapter 2
   Book 1: Chapter 3
   Book 1: Chapter 4
   Book 1: Chapter 5
   Book 1: Chapter 6
   Book 1: Chapter 7
   Book 1: Chapter 8
   Book 2: Chapter 1
   Book 2: Chapter 2
   Book 2: Chapter 3
   Book 2: Chapter 4
   Book 2: Chapter 5
   Book 2: Chapter 6
   Book 2: Chapter 7
   Book 2: Chapter 8
   Book 2: Chapter 9
   Book 2: Chapter 10
   Book 2: Chapter 11
   Book 2: Chapter 12
   Book 3: Chapter 1
   Book 3: Chapter 2
   Book 3: Chapter 3
   Book 3: Chapter 4
   Book 3: Chapter 5
   Book 3: Chapter 6
   Book 3: Chapter 7
   Book 3: Chapter 8
   Book 3: Chapter 9
   Book 3: Chapter 10
   Book 3: Chapter 11
   Book 3: Chapter 12
   Book 3: Chapter 13
   Book 3: Chapter 14
   Book 3: Chapter 15
   Book 3: Chapter 16
   Book 3: Chapter 17
   Book 3: Chapter 18
   Book 3: Chapter 19
   Book 3: Chapter 20
   Book 3: Chapter 21
   Book 3: Chapter 22
   Book 3: Chapter 23
   Book 3: Chapter 24
   Book 3: Chapter 25
   Book 3: Chapter 26
   Book 3: Chapter 27
   Book 3: Chapter 28
   Book 3: Chapter 29
   Book 3: Chapter 30
   Book 3: Chapter 31
   Book 3: Chapter 32
   Book 3: Chapter 33
   Book 3: Chapter 34
   Book 3: Chapter 35
   Book 3: Chapter 36
   Book 3: Chapter 37
   Book 4: Chapter 1
   Book 4: Chapter 2
   Book 4: Chapter 3
   Book 4: Chapter 4
   Book 4: Chapter 5
   Book 4: Chapter 6
   Book 4: Chapter 7
   Book 4: Chapter 8
   Book 4: Chapter 9
   Book 4: Chapter 10
   Book 4: Chapter 11
   Book 4: Chapter 12
   Book 4: Chapter 13
   Book 4: Chapter 14
   Book 4: Chapter 15
   Book 4: Chapter 16
   Book 4: Chapter 17
   Book 4: Chapter 18
   Book 4: Chapter 19
   Book 4: Chapter 20
   Book 4: Chapter 21
   Book 4: Chapter 22
   Book 4: Chapter 23
   Book 4: Chapter 24
   Book 5: Chapter 1
   Book 5: Chapter 2
   Book 5: Chapter 3
   Book 5: Chapter 4
   Book 5: Chapter 5
   Book 5: Chapter 6
   Book 5: Chapter 7
   Book 5: Chapter 8
   Book 5: Chapter 9
   Book 5: Chapter 10
   Book 5: Chapter 11
   Book 5: Chapter 12
   Book 5: Chapter 13
   Book 5: Chapter 14
   Book 5: Chapter 15
   Book 5: Chapter 16
   Book 5: Chapter 17
   Appendix 1
   Appendix 2
   Appendix 3
   Appendix 4
   Appendix 5
   Appendix 6,7
   Appendix 8
   Appendix 9
   Appendix 10
   Appendix 11
   Appendix 12
   Appendix 13
   Appendix 14
   Appendix 15
   Appendix 16
   Appendix 17
   Appendix 18
   Appendix 19

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