Overview
Isaiah indicts the sin of Judah and Jerusalem and proclaims the judgment of YHWH upon the nations, while foretelling the restoration of the remnant, the Messianic king of the line of David, the suffering Servant of YHWH, and the new heavens and new earth. The book moves from judgment to comfort and redemption.
Theme The judgment and salvation of YHWH, the Holy One of Israel
Historical background
Isaiah ministered in Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. In this period Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel (722 BC), and Sennacherib invaded Judah (701 BC). The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa^a), discovered at Qumran in 1947 and dated to about the 2nd century BC, preserves all sixty-six chapters.