Counter-Missionary Education

Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7 in Christian Bibles] – Is it Messianic or Historical?

A Counter-Missionary Education Lesson by Uri Yosef, Ph.D., Director of Education Virtual Yeshiva of the Messiah Truth Project, Inc.

http://virtualyeshiva.com

[The article on this topic is located here http://thejewishhome.org/counter/Isa9_56.pdf

] Copyright © Uri Yosef 2011 for the Messiah Truth Project, Inc.

All rights reserved May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Introduction

The passage Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] is an important "proof text" in the portfolio of the Christian missionary, one that is claimed to foretell the advent of Christianity’s Messiah, Jesus.

This claim by Christian missionaries is based on incorrect translations of key words and phrases in these two verses in Christian Bibles, most notably in the King James Bible, which is the most widely used version by Christians.

A detailed analysis of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 9:5-6 and its correct translation, along with careful consideration of its proper context, show that the passage describes historical events that took place during the general timeframe in which these words were spoken by Isaiah, rather than a messianic prophecy about events that allegedly occurred more than 700 years later, as claimed by Christian missionaries.

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Isaiah King James Version Translation 9:6

For unto us a child is born, (i) unto us a son is given: (ii) and the government shall be upon his shoulder: (iii) and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:5[6]

Isaiah 9:5 Ver. A 9:5 Ver. B Jewish Translation from the Hebrew

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the authority was [placed] upon his shoulder, and [He, the] Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God, Eternal Father/Patron, called his name: Ruler of Peace; For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the authority was placed upon his shoulder, and [he] called his name: Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God [or, Mighty Hero], Eternal Patron, Ruler of Peace;

Hebrew Text

, May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Isaiah 9:6[7]

Isaiah King James Version Translation Isaiah Jewish Translation from the Hebrew Hebrew Text 9:7

Of the increase of [his] government and peace there shall be no end, (iv) upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

9:6

for the increase of the authority and for peace without end, on David's throne and on his kingdom, to establish it and to support it with justice and with righteousness; from now and to eternity, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this. ] [ , (i) Luke 2:11(KJV) – For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (ii) John 3:16(KJV) – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (iii) Matthew 28:18(KJV) – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 1Corinthians 15:25(KJV) – For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (iv) Luke 1:32-33(KJV) – (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end .

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Summary of the Christian and Jewish Perspectives Christianity (  ) Judaism ( Y ) The passage Isaiah 9:6-7 [in Christian Bibles] is said to be a messianic prophecy that foretells • the birth of Jesus • his divinity • his destined mission to be the promised King/Messiah The passage Isaiah 9:5-6 [in the Hebrew Bible] is historical, not messianic, since it describes events that had already taken place in Jewish history, namely, • the birth and naming of this particular child • a (fulfilled) prophecy concerning this child’s future mission [It is noteworthy that the authors of the New Testament do not cite either of these two verses, and nowhere in the New Testament are any of these names/titles used in referring to Jesus.] Jewish Sages hold that the child was Hezekiah son of King Ahaz, whose mission was to lift Judah from the degenerate conditions into which it had sunk, and lead the indestructible faithful "Remnant of Israel". May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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A Closer Look at the Problematic Translations in the KJV KJV Rendition Isaiah 9:6 is born is given and … shall be and … shall be called Wonderful Counsellor KJV-to-Hebrew (Reverse Translation) Verbs ק Jewish Rendition Isaiah 9:5 has been born has been given and … was [placed] and [he] called Names/Titles פ Wondrous Adviser ע The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of Peace ע ש \ ש ךְ Mighty God [Mighty Hero] Eternal Patron Ruler of Peace Hebrew Phrase ע ע The major problem with the KJV translation of v. 7 is that it starts as a new sentence, thereby removing the continuity from v. 6. v. 7 is also cast as two sentences, thereby redirecting its focus to support the KJV translation of v. 6.

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Interpretation of the Sequence of Names/Titles As shown on Page 3, there are two ways to read the sequence of names/titles in v. 5.

Isaiah 9:5 – Version A

Jewish Translation from the Hebrew Hebrew Text

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the authority was placed upon his shoulder, and [He, the] Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God, Eternal Father/Patron, called his name: Ruler of Peace; The predominant view among Jewish Sages is that the series of first three names/titles – ע ,

Wondrous Adviser

, ,

Mighty God

, ע ,

Eternal Patron/Father

all references to God, and that the last name/title – ,

Ruler of Peace

– are – is the symbolic name/title that God ordered to be given to the child that is the subject of this verse.

Who, then, could this child be?

The historical account of the Kingdom of Judah, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible from the time of King Ahaz forward, suggests that the name/title ,

Ruler of Peace

, alludes to the fact that there was a prolonged period of peace in the Land of Israel during King Hezekiah ’s reign. This peaceful span was highlighted by his invitation to the remnant of the Jews who lived in the Northern Kingdom of Israel to participate in the celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem (see 2Chronicles 30).

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Interpretation of the Sequence of Names/Titles Isaiah 9:5 – Version B

Jewish Translation from the Hebrew Hebrew Text

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the authority was placed upon his shoulder, and [he] called his name: Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God [or, Mighty Hero], Eternal Patron, Ruler of Peace ; The names/titles form one long symbolic name that refers to one person. The Sages said these titles were appellations of Hezekiah (B. Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin, Folio 94a). Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra (12th century CE) picked up on this point of view and related these names/titles to events and situations that took place during Hezekiah's life: • “Wondrous” – Alludes to wonders God performed in Hezekiah’s days (Isaiah 38) • “Advisor” – As the siege of Jerusalem drew near, he took counsel with his advisors (2Chronicles 32:3) and gave counsel to his people (2Chronicles 30:7-8) • “Mighty Hero” – Alludes to the fact that he did not surrender in defeat to Sanheriv (2Chronicles 32:20-22) • “Eternal Patron” – Alludes to the fact that, in his merit, the Davidic dynasty was saved from immediate destruction and preserved for the eternal future • “Ruler of Peace” – Alludes to the fact that a prolonged period of peace existed in the land during his reign (2Chronicles 30) Rabbi Don Yitzhaq Abravanel (15th century CE) held a similar view.

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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An Historical Perspective Chapter 9 in the Book of Isaiah is divided into two distinct sections. In the first section, Isaiah 9:1-6[2-7], Isaiah prophetically speaks of – • deliverance • the fall of Assyrian king

Sanheriv

and his army (who besieged Jerusalem) • joy – the announcement of the birth of a great Davidic king When the time came for these prophecies to materialize, Isaiah responds to Hezekiah’s messenger and reaffirms God’s promise to King David, that the kingdom will be preserved. As

Sanheriv

’s army besieges Jerusalem seeking to capture it and exile the people of the Kingdom of Judah, the nation turns to God and obeyed Hezekiah's order not to respond to the enemy.

Then, a miraculous event occurred – an angel slaughtered the Assyrian army and, upon

Sanheriv

’s return in defeat, he was assassinated by members of his own family. Thus, the Jewish nation that was on the brink of destruction, standing in the shadow of death, was suddenly and miraculously redeemed, and it stood in a great light, the light that represents deliverance and the events that ensued, which brought about by the emergence of a righteous Davidic king.

In the second section, Isaiah 9:7-20[8-21], which is the first part of an oracle (that ends at Isaiah 10:4) on the impending disaster that awaits the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their arrogant disregard of the Isaiah’s warnings and continuing their wickedness.

The epilogue to the events described in Isaiah 9 is provided in the remainder of Isaiah 10. The Prophet foretells that Assyria, which abused its ordained mission, will be destroyed and the righteous “Remnant of Israel” will be repatriated and return to God.

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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Summary The detailed analysis of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 9:5-6 and supporting passages in the Hebrew Bible demonstrated how this passage describes events that had already taken place during the era in which these prophetic words were spoken by Isaiah, making it an historical, not a messianic, passage. Additional passages in the Hebrew Bible helped establish the connection between this near-term prophecy and the righteous King Hezekiah as the one of which Isaiah spoke.

As much as this passage, Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7], may have appealed to Christian translators as an opportunity to infuse into the words of Isaiah Christological significance, since all that was required to accomplish this were adjustments in the tenses of the verbs, this revisionist messianic interpretation suffers from other flaws that invalidate it, such as: • The silence on this passage by the authors of the New Testament • The names/titles are inconsistent with common references to Jesus. How can “The everlasting Father” also be “The Son”?

• Jesus said: “ But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me..

” [ Luke 19:27(KJV); see also Matthew 10:34-36, Luke 14:26 ]. How can such words earn someone the title “The Prince of Peace”?

May 26, 2011 Isaiah 9:5-6[6-7] – Messianic or Historical?

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