Deutero-Isaiah

Scope and Content

Deutero-Isaiah is a scholarly term for chapters 40–55 of Isaiah treated as a distinct unit. It can also refer to the anonymous prophet thought to have written this section. In the late eighteenth century, German scholars began treating chapters 1–39 separately from chapter 40 onward. In the late nineteenth century, Bernhard Duhm further separated chapters 56–66 as "Trito-Isaiah" (Third Isaiah), and the term is now used for chapters 40–55 only. No such division appears in the text of the book of Isaiah itself.

Its principal themes are as follows:

• Proclamation of comfort: The section opens with "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" (Isaiah 40:1) and announces restoration to a people in exile.
• The one Creator: It repeatedly declares that God alone is the true God and that idols are vain (Isaiah 46:9).
• Cyrus: It names the Persian king Cyrus and says that God uses him as His "anointed" (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1).
• A new exodus: It portrays the return from Babylon as a "new thing," likening it to the ancient Exodus (Isaiah 43:16–21).
• The Servant Songs: Four passages—Isaiah 42:1–4; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; and 52:13–53:12—sing of the Suffering Servant.

Background

Critical scholarship places the setting of this section at the end of the Babylonian exile, in the sixth century BC. By that time Jerusalem and the Temple had already been destroyed, and Cyrus was on the verge of conquering Babylon. The text treats this situation as though it were past or present. Scholars cite this feature, along with differences in style and theological emphasis, as evidence for their view.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

The New Testament frequently quotes this section. All four Gospels present John the Baptist as "the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness" of Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah 53 was used to explain the suffering and atoning work of Jesus. In Acts 8:32–35, Philip uses this passage to preach Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch. Matthew 8:16–17 and 1 Peter 2:24 also quote the same chapter. John 12:38–41 quotes Isaiah 53:1 together with Isaiah 6:10 and attributes both to Isaiah ("Esaias" in the KJV).

Interpretation and Debate

• Critical scholarship: Chapters 40–55 are the work of a prophet of the exilic period and were later joined to chapters 1–39 within the tradition of the prophet Isaiah. More recently, canonical readings—which hold that all sixty-six chapters should be read as a single book even if multiple authors are recognized—have also become widespread.
• Conservative theology: The prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, wrote all sixty-six chapters. The naming of Cyrus is explained as prophecy revealed in advance by God. Proponents point out that the New Testament quotes chapters 40 and following as the words of Isaiah. They also note that the Isaiah scroll among the Dead Sea Scrolls contains all sixty-six chapters written continuously on a single scroll. Those holding this position sometimes use the term "the latter part of Isaiah" instead of "Deutero-Isaiah."

In Korea, denominations and seminaries that emphasize biblical inerrancy generally teach single authorship. Seminaries that accept critical biblical scholarship present the Deutero-Isaiah division as the standard view.

In the Korean Church

The term "Deutero-Isaiah" is used mainly in theological education and in commentaries. Passages from this section, however, appear very frequently in preaching and devotional reading. Notable examples include "they shall mount up with wings as eagles" in Isaiah 40:28–31 and Isaiah 43:1–2. The "new thing" of Isaiah 43:18–19 is often cited in New Year's sermons, and Isaiah 53 is frequently read during Holy Week.