A Sign and a Wonder : The Redactional Formation of Isaiah 18-20

While many studies on Isaiah are interested in the formation of the book, relatively few have addressed the development of the oracles concerning foreign nations. Like many other prophetic books, the book of Isaiah contains a section of foreign nations oracles (Isaiah 13-23), but within this collection is a smaller grouping of literary material that deals with the nations of Cush (Ethiopia) and Egypt (Isaiah 18-20). This book considers the formation of this smaller group about Cush and Egypt within the literary context of the growth of the larger collection and the development of these individual chapters. This book also contributes a fresh approach to the formation of foreign nations oracles in Isa 13-23. A Sign and a Wonder: The Redactional Formation of Isaiah 18–20 4 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Abbreviations 12 1 Introduction and Survey of Research 18 1. Introduction 18 2. Survey of Research 19 1. The Secondary Addition of a מַשָּׂא Collection 19 2. The Priority of a מַשָּׂא Collection 26 3. Alternative Approaches 35 3. Summary 39 2 The Nations Oracles in Isaiah 13–23 42 1. Introduction 42 2. The מַשָּׂא Oracles in Isaiah 13–23 43 3. The מַשָּׂא Titles in Isaiah 13–23 53 4. Conclusion 62 3 The Redactional Formation of Isaiah 18 66 1. Introduction 66 2. Historical Considerations 68 3. Isaiah 18:1–2, 4–6 74 4. Isaiah 18:7 83 5. Isaiah 18:3 87 6. Conclusion 95 4 The Redactional Formation of Isaiah 19 98 1. Introduction 98 2. Isaiah 19:1–4 98 3. Isaiah 19:11–14 103 4. Isaiah 19:5–10 108 5. Isaiah 19:15 114 6. Isaiah 19:16–17 115 7. Isaiah 19:18 119 8. Isaiah 19:19–22 125 9. Isaiah 19:23 135 10. Isaiah 19:24–25 137 11. Conclusion 140 5 The Redactional Formation of Isaiah 20 142 1. Introduction 142 2. Isaiah 19:1–4 142 3. Isaiah 20:5 152 4. Isaiah 20:6 156 5. Conclusion 161 6 The Redactional Formation of Isaiah 18–20 164 1. Introduction 164 2. First Redaction 165 3. Second Redaction 169 4. Conclusion 175 7 Summary and Conclusion 176 1. Summary 176 2. Conclusion 181 1. The מַשָּׂא Titles 182 2. The Formation of Isaiah 13–23 182 3. Exilic-Period Redactional Activity in Isaiah 183 4. Isaiah and the Deuteronomistic History 184 5. The Theme of Egypt in the Book of Isaiah 185 6. Methodology 185 Bibliography 188 Index of Authors 210 Index of Texts 215 Index of Subjects 227 Introduction and survey of research The nations of oracles in Isaiah 13-23 The redactional formation of Isaiah 18 The redactional formation of Isaiah 19 The redactional formation of Isaiah 20 The redactional formation of Isaiah 18-20 Summary and conclusion. This book offers a proposal for the formation of oracles about Cush and Egypt in the book of Isaiah (chapters 18-20) within the context of the development of a larger collection of foreign nations oracles in Isaiah 13-23. By Paul M. Cook. Revised Version Of The Author's Thesis (doctoral)--faculty Of Oriental Studies, University Of Oxford, 2009. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [171]-191) And Indexes. "This book is a revised version of my doctoral thesis that was accepted by the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford in 2009"--Acknowledgements