Book 23 - Isaiah

Isaiah is the first of the Major Prophets and one of the longest and most complex books in the Hebrew Bible. I'll try to simplify.

It sits at the intersection of history, warning, poetry, and hope for the future. Much of the language is vivid and memorable, which is part of why Isaiah is quoted so often later in the Bible, including in the New Testament.

What kind of book is this?

Isaiah is a prophetic book made up of speeches, poems, visions, and symbolic actions.

It is not a single continuous story. It's a collection of messages delivered over time, often addressing different audiences and situations. The book moves between confrontation, lament, warning, promise and expectation. Sometimes within the same chapter.

Who is speaking?

The book is named after Isaiah, a prophet active primarily in Jerusalem during the 8th century BCE.

Isaiah’s ministry overlaps with several kings of Judah and with major geopolitical threats, especially the rise of the Assyrian Empire.

Scholars debate whether the entire book comes from one author or reflects multiple voices writing in Isaiah’s tradition over time. The book itself presents the material as part of Isaiah’s prophetic legacy, without pausing to explain authorship questions.

An important note to consider in reading Isaiah is that the voice consistently speaks from during the time of Judah’s crisis, not after it.

Historical setting

Isaiah speaks during a period of instability. Judah is under threat from powerful empires. Political alliances are fragile. Social inequality is widespread. Religious practice goes on, but it's often disconnected from integrity.

Isaiah addresses leaders, priests, and the general population. Much of the book assumes familiarity with temple worship, kingship, and covenant language.

How the book is structured

Isaiah is traditionally divided into three broad sections:

• Early chapters that focus heavily on judgment and warning

• Middle sections that introduce hope, restoration, and future deliverance

• Later chapters that emphasize renewal, justice, and peace

These divisions help with navigation, but the transitions are not always clean. Themes echo across sections, and imagery repeats.

What Isaiah talks about

Across the book, several themes repeat:

• Warnings about injustice, corruption, and misplaced trust

• Criticism of religious activity that ignores ethical behavior

• Consequences of national and moral failure

• The downfall of nations, including Judah and its neighbors

• The idea of a future restoration after judgment

• The hope of a renewed people and renewed leadership

Isaiah is one of those books that makes you painfully aware of how little context most of us bring to the Bible. At least for me.

It assumes familiarity with kings, empires, temple worship, covenant language, etc...It goes back and forth between warning and hope without always telling you how they connect. At times it feels clear, and then a few paragraphs later it feels completely unclear.

But, hopefully this simple overview will help you start to understand what role prophets play in Israel and God's story. And with what comes next. The prophets speak about real political, social and religious situations as they are happening. Often using language that is at turns poetic, symbolic and confrontational. The ones that follow address different audiences in different time periods but the tension is there throughout.