Isaiah 61:1–3

Context

Chapters 56–66 of Isaiah address the restoration of the community that returned from the Babylonian exile. Chapter 61 falls within this section, and the preceding chapter 60 celebrates the restored glory of Zion (Jerusalem). In chapter 61, a speaker using the first person ("upon me") declares his mission.

The speaker says that "the Spirit of the Lord GOD" is upon him and that the LORD "hath anointed" and sent him. In the Old Testament, anointing was the rite by which kings and priests were installed in office. The speaker is sent to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, those who are bound, and those who mourn.

• "The acceptable year of the LORD": This expression is understood to recall the Jubilee, when debts were canceled and slaves were set free (Leviticus 25:8–12).
• "The day of vengeance": A day on which wrongs are redressed, when God repays his enemies and sets his people right.
• The imagery of verse 3: A garland replaces ashes, the oil of joy replaces mourning, and the garment of praise replaces the spirit of heaviness, turning lamentation into celebration. In Hebrew, "ashes" (ʾēper) and "garland" (pəʾēr) form a well-known wordplay based on their similar sounds.

Interpretation

• Christ-centered reading: In Luke 4:16–21, Jesus reads this passage and says, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." On this basis, most denominations, including Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists, read the passage as a declaration of the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is also read in connection with the "Servant of the LORD" in Isaiah 42 and 53.
• Historical and prophetic reading: Jewish interpreters and historical-critical scholars regard the speaker as the prophet himself and read the passage as a call narrative in which restoration is proclaimed to a disheartened community after the return from exile. Many Christian interpreters also acknowledge this primary meaning while holding that its significance is fulfilled in Jesus.
• Social-mission reading: This reading understands the poor and the captives as people who are literally socially vulnerable and treats the passage as a basis for the church's work of relief and its pursuit of justice. Ecumenical circles and Minjung theology place particular emphasis on this reading.
• Reading focused on the Spirit's anointing: Pentecostal and charismatic churches connect "The Spirit … is upon me" with receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, and they take the passage as a model for ministries of healing and deliverance.

Debates and Issues

• Authorship and date: Historical criticism regards chapters 56–66 as "Third Isaiah" (Trito-Isaiah), written after the return from exile. Conservative scholars regard this section, too, as the work of the prophet Isaiah.
• Where Jesus stopped: The quotation in Luke 4 ends with "the acceptable year of the Lord" and omits "the day of vengeance." Many evangelical interpreters take this to mean that grace is realized at Jesus' first coming and judgment at the Second Coming.
• Text and translation: Luke's quotation follows the Greek Septuagint. Consequently, unlike the Hebrew text, it includes "recovering of sight to the blind," and it also incorporates wording from Isaiah 58:6. Among Korean Bible translations, the phrase rendered "day of vindication" in the Korean Revised Version is rendered "day of vengeance" in the New Korean Revised Version.
• Use of the passage: Some criticize the use of "anointing" as grounds for establishing the authority of particular ministers. Conversely, others argue that reading the passage solely as personal comfort erases its social dimension.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently used as a sermon text on mission and relief, as well as in sermons of comfort. Expressions such as "the garment of praise" and "the oil of joy" are quoted especially often.

Related Passages

• Luke 4:16–21
• Leviticus 25:8–12
• Isaiah 42:1
• Isaiah 58:6
• Luke 7:22