The Servant Songs in Second Isaiah  42:1-4 (5-9)  49:1-6 (7//52:13-53:12, 8-12//42:1-9)  50:4-9 (10-11)  52:13-53:12  Should they be read separately from the rest of the book?

Who is the servant?

 Duhm: poems added secondarily by someone who had leprosy  Mowinckel: Second Isaiah himself  Sellin: 1898 = Zerubbabel; 1901 = Jehoiachin; 1922 = Moses  Or does the servant represent Israel? the prophet and Israel?

The “Servant” in Second Isaiah  Word

servant

appears 21 times in 40-55  19 times singular; 2 times plural (44:26; 54:17)  8 times in servant poems; 1x = Israel; 2x = not Israel; 5x = unclear  13 times elsewhere; = 8x explicitly Israel; 3x implicitly Israel; 2 plural

The First Servant Poem 42:1-4  v. 1: servant is agent of “justice” (restoration of God’s order in the world) to the nations (combines royal and prophetic functions). See 40:27!



not

by proclamation

nor

by force  Israel makes clear to the world Yahweh’s sovereignty in experiencing deliverance from Babylon

Supplement to the first song vv 5-9  Breath of humanity has a common source, v. 5  Covenant to people, light to nations  Opening of eyes, freeing from prison  Former things have come to pass; new things I now declare

The Second Servant Poem 49:1-6  Servant reports

to nations

his pre-natal call  The servant as God’s secret weapon 

You

(prophet?) are my servant, you are

Israel,

in whom I will be glorified! v.3

 I have labored in vain  My “right” is in Yahweh’s hands

More on Second Servant poem  vv. 5-6 servant has mission to Israel and to

the nations

 Has the prophet become the true Israel? after 49:6 exiles = Zion and Jerusalem  If the central positive message of Second Isaiah is the new Exodus, does the servant figure indicate the vocation of those who are to be freed?

Supplements to the Second Song  V. 7 anticipates the suffering and vindicated servant of 52:13-53:12  vv. 8-12 associates the servant with the “job description” in 42:1-9  The task that belonged to Israel as servant now belongs to individual servant of 49:1-6  Restoration of land, gathering of diaspora, light to nations and covenant to people 

The Third Servant Poem 50:4-9  Psalm of confidence by one who has experienced opposition  Servant sustains the weary with a word  “Prophetic” Israel (or Second Isaiah?) did not rebel  Lord Yahweh helps me; who can put me in the wrong? The one who vindicates me is near…the master of my case

Response to third song in 3rd person--50:10-11  What is the vocation of the those who hear Second Isaiah’s good news?

 They walk in darkness but trust in the name of Yahweh and lean on God.

 What is the fate of those who reject the word of the servant and light their own fires?

 They shall lie down in torment (cf. 66:24)

Structure of the Fourth Song  52:13-15 speech of Yahweh announcing ultimate destiny of servant (cf. v. 15 with 49:7)  53:1-11a Confession of the “we” about the work of the servant. We = them in 53:15b  53:11b-12 Divine speech about servant’s destiny--exalted because of his intercession for others and his death

The “servant” and the “servants”*  Achievement of the servant 40:1-52:11  The work of the servants 54:1-66:24  The servant suffers on behalf of the servants  The servant’s suffering and death are Israel’s, on behalf of the nations  * = 54:17; 56:6; 63:17; 65:9, 13, 14, 15; 66:14

The Fourth Servant Poem 53:1 11a  Who is “we” and “us”? the nations? The “many”? The “servants”?

 Servant made a disgusting appearance; people could not stand to look at him  53:4-6 “We” people change their evaluation of the servant  He bore

our

sicknesses,

our

iniquities,

our

rebellions  In the servant’s wounds is healing for

us.

The Fourth Servant Poem 53:1 11a continued  The servant never said a mumbling word 53:7 (cf. 42:2)  Was the servant killed? Was Second Isaiah executed? Did Israel in exile die a metaphorical death? 53:8  Servant dies ignominiously 53:9  Servant’s life = a sin offering followed by coming vindication 53:10

The Fourth Servant Poem 53:10 12  Yahweh again the speaker  Through his humiliation/knowledge the servant makes the “many” righteous  Final vindication because  servant poured himself out unto death  servant carried the sins of many (Deut 4:21-24)  servant prayed for them (Deut 9:25-29)

NT echoes  If the servant originally is the prophet and/or Israel  And if Jesus is

the

servant  Then we--in our good confession--are also called and empowered to be servants

Second Isaiah and the Priestly Writer  P looked back to the everlasting covenant with the ancestors and to the possibility of reestablishing an ideal “Mosaic” community  Second Isaiah: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? 43:18-19