The Formation of Isaiah 40-55 (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Book 141)

This thorough and judicious study is both a critical compendium of twentieth century form criticism of Isa 40-55 and a constructive contribution to the understanding of its literary shape and purpose. There are enough new suggestions here to stimulate the veteran critic of Second Isaiah, while for those just undertaking serious literary analysis of the book, this is clearly the place to begin. After an introductory chapter which defines the literary problem and describes the history of its treatment, the remainder of the book is divided into two, roughly equal parts. The first is an analysis and identification of the literary genres found in the book, and the second is an examination of the way in which the genre units have been arranged in the canonical text, and of the kerygmatic implications of this arrangement. Melugin agrees with Westermann against Muilenburg that many of the basic components of the book are traditional genres, which can be isolated from their context both by form and content. At the same time he agrees with Muilenburg and Westermann, against Begrich and the earlier form critics, that the poet has reshaped and combined the traditional, oral genres to create new poetic compositions, many of them of considerable length and complexity. Thus his treatment of the book is closest to Westermann's among his predecessors. However, he disagrees with Westermann at many points in the analysis of the genre units, and he goes beyond Westermann in dealing with the arrangement of the units into larger complexes. Here he employs rhetorical criticism, much in the manner of Muilenburg, to expose the relations among the components and, by inference, the intentions of the arranger. But unlike Muilenburg he concludes that this arranger was not the original poet/prophet but a second person, a compiler. The kerygma of the book is therefore to be viewed on two levels, that of the component poems taken severally, and that of the final composition. The resulting perception of the book's message is not radically different from Muilenburg's, but it recognizes greater diversity of emphasis within the larger unity, or, to put it another way, greater ambiguity in the message of the book. Chapter One: Introduction 13 I. The Problem 13 II. The Question of Method 19 PART ONE: THE ANALYSIS OF GENRES 23 Chapter Two: Salvation Speeches 25 I. The “Priestly Salvation Oracle” 25 II. Other Forms of Salvation Speech 34 III. Conclusion 38 Chapter Three: Disputation Speeches 40 I. The Problem in Historical Perspective 40 II. Form Critical Analysis 43 III. Conclusion 56 Chapter Four: Trial Speeches 57 I. The Trial Between Yahweh and Israel 57 II. The Trial Between Yahweh and the Nations 65 III. Conclusion 75 Chapter Five: The “Servant Songs” 76 I. Isaiah 42,1–4.5–9 76 II. Isaiah 49,1–6 81 III. Isaiah 50,4–11 83 IV. Isaiah 52,13–53,12 85 PART TWO: THE ARRANGEMENT OF GENRE UNITS 87 Chapter Six: The Problem of a Suitable Method 89 I. The Background of the Problem 89 II. The Basic Structure of Isaiah 40–55 94 III. The Juxtaposition of Individual Genre Units 99 Chapter Seven: Isaiah 40,12–44,23 102 I. Isaiah 40,12–31 102 II. Isaiah 41,1–42,13 105 III. Isaiah 42,14–44,23 114 Chapter Eight: Isaiah 44,24–49,13 135 I. Isaiah 44,24–48,21 135 II. Isaiah 49,1–6.7.8–12.13 154 Chapter Nine: Isaiah 49,14–55,13 160 I. Isaiah 49,14–52,12 160 II. Isaiah 52,13–55,13 179 III. Conclusion 187 In der Reihe Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fr die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) erscheinen Arbeiten zu smtlichen Gebieten der alttestamentlichen Wissenschaft. Im Zentrum steht die Hebrische Bibel, ihr Vor- und Nachleben im antiken Judentum sowie ihre vielfache Verzweigung in die benachbarten Kulturen der altorientalischen und hellenistisch-rmischen Welt. Die BZAW akzeptiert Manuskriptvorschlge, die einen innovativen und signifikanten Beitrag zu Erforschung des Alten Testaments und seiner Umwelt leisten, sich intensiv mit der bestehenden Forschungsliteratur auseinandersetzen, stringent aufgebaut und flssig geschrieben sind. The series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) covers all areas of research into the Old Testament, focusing on the Hebrew Bible, its early and later forms in Ancient Judaism, as well as its branching into many neighboring cultures of the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world. BZAW welcomes submissions that make an original and significant contribution to the field; demonstrate sophisticated engagement with the relevant secondary literature; and are written in readable, logical, and engaging prose.

The series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) covers all areas of research into the Old Testament, focusing on the Hebrew Bible, its early and later forms in Ancient Judaism, as well as its branching into many neighboring cultures of the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world.