After bringing oracles to the nations individually (chapters 13-23), Isaiah now speaks a prophetic word about the earth as a whole. While the Hebrew word translated “earth” in chapter 24 can mean “land” (referring to the land of Israel, for…
Category: Isaiah
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 23)
Next on the list of nations who receive an oracle from the Lord comes Tyre and its close ally, Sidon. These two port cities were the commercial centers for the Phoenicians and were located to the north of Israel on…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 22)
After bringing oracles concerning surrounding nations that will impact Israel, Isaiah now has a word directly for the people and leaders of Judah. The first half of the chapter (1-14) records a plaintive pronouncement of Judah and Jerusalem’s coming demise. …
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 21)
The three oracles contained in chapter 21, all of which contain artistic, cryptic elements, are addressed to nations and people groups located in around Israel and northern Arabia. They may be grouped as a collection because each recipient would be…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 20)
Nearly as brief as Isaiah 4 (the shortest chapter in the book), Isaiah 20 contains a brief but memorable message concerning the upcoming conquest and exile of Egypt and Cush. While the chapter is about Egypt and Cush, it’s for…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 19)
The oracle against Egypt given in chapter 19 carries significance on several levels. As one of the national powers of the region—with aspirations for ANE supremacy—Egypt was a formidable force. In fact, Israel had a tendency to look to Egypt…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 18)
This short chapter (seven verses) contains a brief pronouncement that introduces a cluster of oracles against ancient Cush and Egypt. Actually, the nation addressed in this chapter is not specifically named. They are described as a nation “beyond the rivers…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 17)
While the heading for this chapter in my ESV translation says, “An Oracle Concerning Damascus”, the chapter deals with the impending judgment on both Syria and Israel. Previously, in chapter 7, we read how Syria and Israel were joining forces…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 15-16)
In these two chapters, we have a lament voiced for the coming destruction of Moab, a nation to Israel’s east (across the Dead Sea). Amidst the wailing (a word repeated multiple times in chapters 15-16), we hear another, surprising voice…
Tuesdays with Isaiah (Chapter 14)
Chapter 14 continues the judgment oracle on Babylon (3-23) and then adds a short prophetic prediction about the coming judgment on Assyria (24-27) and Philistia (28-32). But before addressing these three nations, Isaiah has a brief, consoling word for the…
Rick and Linda Reed 