Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66, The

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Dec 1999 by Mosley, Harold R

The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66. By John N. Oswalt. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998, 755 pp., $48.00.

This is the commentary on Isaiah 40-66 for which many evangelical Bible students have been waiting. With this volume, Oswalt has filled a gap that long had existed in the study of Isaiah. Many of the recent commentaries on Isaiah 40-66 involve treatments from a more liberal theological viewpoint. Certainly the authors of those works are to be commended in that they ask questions and provide insights often overlooked by evangelical scholars. However, not since E. J. Young's three-volume work on Isaiah has a commentary provided such comprehensive coverage of this portion of Scripture from an evangelical perspective. Oswalt's book will prove to be a welcome addition to the library of scholars, students and ministers alike.

Oswalt's outstanding contribution in his first volume on Isaiah 1-39 (in the same series) whetted the appetite for this work, and it does not disappoint. Along with an easy-to-read writing style, Oswalt has combined an extensive knowledge of Isaianic scholarship as well as a technical knowledge of the Hebrew language. The combination of all these gifts has allowed Oswalt to create an understandable commentary that also has unusual depth.

Oswalt examines the text of Isaiah 40-66-as he did chaps. 1-39-under the rubric of "servanthood." By showing the commonality of "servanthood" in both halves of the book, Oswalt argues that the connections between the two portions of the book are strong and that chaps. 40-66 are the logical extension of the first 39 chapters.

The author takes a strong stand for the unity of authorship in Isaiah. He contends that arguments against single authorship derive more from ideological concerns than from the evidence within the text itself. Concerning the reluctance of many skeptical scholars to admit the possibility that an 8th-century prophet could describe 6th-century events, Oswalt says, "Their [i.e. skeptical scholars] conception of the nature of prophecy still prevents them from taking the step that the book itself clearly asks its readers to take: accept these writings as the result of the encounter of a single human being with the self-revealing Lord of the cosmos" (p. 5). In fact, as Oswalt notes, one of the proofs of the superiority of Israel's God over idols is God's ability to reveal future events. However, if Isaiah 40-66 dates from the exilic period, this "proof" of a God who could tell the future would become a nonproof. For Oswalt, authorship deriving from Isaiah, the 8th-century prophet, is demanded by the assertions of God's superiority found in chaps. 40-66.

Although Oswalt approaches Isaiah from the perspective of the reliability of Scripture, he does not avoid addressing the controversial topics that invariably arise in Isaianic studies. The "Servant Songs" are such an example. Oswalt notes the difficulty in identifying the servant consistently in the songs, addressing the problems of identity within the various passages, but identifying the ultimate Servant of the Lord as an individual, the Messiah, who was to be the ideal Israel.

According to Oswalt, chaps. 56-66, rather than being an appendage added by "TritoIsaiah," are a synthesis of the contrasting points of view found in the earlier sections of Isaiah. Chapters 7-39 warn of judgment if individuals do not maintain righteous living in obedience to the covenant. Chapters 40-55 speak of God's grace that is available even to those who do not deserve it solely on the basis of the righteousness of God. At first these two perspectives seem incompatible. Oswalt, however, argues that chaps. 56-66 solve the problem by demonstrating that through God's grace people can become God's servants as they allow God to make them righteous (p. 559). Once again, rather than seeing a division of Isaiah into the writings of two or three "Isaiahs," Oswalt demonstrates the overall continuity of the message and theme throughout the book of Isaiah.

Oswalt's treatment of the prophecies related to the restoration of Israel is worthy of note. Some of these prophecies use exalted, even hyperbolic, language, and interpreters debate whether this type of language should be interpreted literally or figuratively. Oswalt attempts to maintain a consistent hermeneutic while recognizing that some texts call "for a judicious mix of literal and figurative interpretation" (p. 547). Oswalt views the restoration prophecies as looking beyond the return from the Babylonian exile, noting that some of the prophecies may even have implications for the establishment of the modern state of Israel and "those who have lived since 1948" (p. 553).

This volume will prove to be one of the classic evangelical approaches to Isaiah 4066. Along with the companion treatment of Isaiah 1-39, Oswalt provides a scholarly, yet reverent, approach to Isaiah. He interacts with the scholarly debates related to the various topics in Isaiah 40-66, but he also holds the Scripture in high regard. In every way, Oswalt has provided a much-needed work. Scholars and students will appreciate Oswalt's masterful job of dealing with the language and the text. Busy ministers, who seek help in explaining Isaiah to their congregations, will value the insights gleaned from the author's careful explanation of the text. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the author for his outstanding contribution to the study of Isaiah.