Editing Book of Isaiah (section)

== Summary ==
[[Image:Michelangelo, profeti, Isaiah 01.jpg|thumb|[[Michelangelo]] ({{Circa|1508}}–12), ''Isaiah'', [[Vatican City]]: [[Sistine Chapel ceiling]]]]
[[File:30 Rockefeller.JPG|thumb|Detail of entrance to [[30 Rockefeller Plaza]] showing verse from Isaiah 33:6 [[Rockefeller Center]], [[New York City|New York]]]]
Seeing Isaiah as a two-part book (chapters 1–33 and 34–66) with an overarching theme leads to a summary of its contents like the following:{{sfn| Sweeney| 1998| pp = 79–80}}
* The book opens by setting out the themes of judgment and subsequent restoration for the righteous. God has a plan which will be realised on the "[[Day of Yahweh]]", when Jerusalem will become the centre of his worldwide rule. On that day the world will come to Zion (Jerusalem) for instruction, but first the city must be punished and cleansed of evil. Israel is invited to join in this plan. Chapters 5–12 explain the significance of the Assyrian judgment against Israel: righteous rule by the Davidic king will follow after the arrogant Assyrian monarch is brought down. Chapters 13–27 announce the preparation of the nations for Yahweh's world rule; chapters 28–33 announce that a royal saviour (the [[messiah]]) will emerge in the aftermath of Jerusalem's punishment and the destruction of her oppressor.
* The oppressor (now identified as Babylon rather than Assyria) is about to fall. Chapters 34–35 tell how Yahweh will return the redeemed exiles to Jerusalem. Chapters 36–39 tell of the faithfulness of king [[Hezekiah]] to Yahweh during the Assyrian siege as a model for the restored community. Chapters 40–54 state that the restoration of Zion is taking place because Yahweh, the creator of the universe, has designated the Persian king [[Cyrus the Great]] as the promised messiah and temple-builder. Specifically, Chapter 53 predicts a suffering servant who will be the messiah the prophet speaks of in previous verses. Chapters 55–66 are an exhortation to Israel to keep the covenant. God's [[Covenant (biblical)#Davidic|eternal promise to David]] is now made to the people of Israel/Judah at large. The book ends by enjoining righteousness as the final stages of God's plan come to pass, including the pilgrimage of the nations to Zion and the realisation of Yahweh's kingship.

The older understanding of this book as three fairly discrete sections attributable to identifiable authors leads to a more atomised picture of its contents, as in this example:
* <!-- redirect target -->'''Proto-Isaiah'''/'''First Isaiah''' (chapters 1–39):{{sfn|Boadt|1984|p= 325}}
** 1–12: Oracles against Judah mostly from Isaiah's early years;
** 13–23: Oracles against foreign nations from his middle years;
** 24–27: The "Isaiah Apocalypse", added at a much later date;
** 28–33: Oracles from Isaiah's later ministry
** 34–35: A vision of Zion, perhaps a later addition;
** 36–39: Stories of Isaiah's life, some from the Book of Kings
* <!-- redirect target -->'''Deutero-Isaiah'''/'''Second Isaiah''' (chapters 40–55), with two major divisions, 40–48 and 49–55, the first emphasizing Israel, the second Zion and Jerusalem:{{sfn | Boadt | 1984 | pp =418–19}}
** An introduction and conclusion stressing the power of God's word over everything;
** A second introduction and conclusion within these in which a herald announces salvation to Jerusalem;
** Fragments of hymns dividing various sections;
** The role of foreign nations, the fall of Babylon, and the rise of Cyrus as God's chosen one;
** Four "[[servant songs]]" personalising the message of the prophet;
** Several longer poems on topics such as God's power and invitations to Israel to trust in him;
* <!-- redirect target -->'''Trito-Isaiah'''/'''Third Isaiah''' (chapters 56–66):
** A collection of oracles by unknown prophets in the years immediately after the return from Babylon.{{sfn|Boadt|1984|p= 444}}