The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

1. breath, 11:4; 25:4; 27:8; 30:28,33; 33:11; 59:192. wind, 7:2; 11:15; 17:13; 26:18; 32:2; 41:16,29; 57:13; 64:63. spirita. God’s Spirit, 11:2 (4 times); 30:1; 32:15; 34:16; 40:13; 42:1; 44:3; 48:16; 59:21; 61:1;63:10, 11,14b. human spirit, 4:4; 19:3,14; 26:9; 28:6; 29:10,24; 31:3; 37:7; 38:16: 42:5; 54:6; 57:15(twice), 16; 61:3; 65:14; 66:2However in Wisdom Literature the term denotes meaninglessness or emptiness (i.e., Eccl. 1:14,17;2:11,17,26; 4:4,6,16; 5:16; 6:9). I think Isaiah’s usage in 26:18 and 41:29 best fits this secondconnotation. Abraham’s seed could not bring the nations to YHWH because of1. their personal, individual fallenness2. the nations’ fallennessbut YHWH can (cf. v. 12)!The term “born” (BDB 656, KB 709, Qal IMPERFECT) in v. 18d literally means “to drop” or “tofall,” but is used metaphorically of giving birth. The Arabic root means to give birth; it is primarilyused of animals (cf. NIV).26:19 “Your dead will live;Their corpses will rise” Verse 19 is contrasted with v. 14. That is why v. 14 cannot be thesource of theology. Verse 19 has much theological affinity to 25:8. The question we looked at in 26:3deals with whether this refers to a national entity or to an individual. The term “their” in v. 19b isliterally “my” in Hebrew. Here again is this play on the individual versus the national. Thisresurrection of national Israel has much in common with Ezekiel 37.There are two IMPERATIVES in the verse which describe what the dead (“you who lie in the dust”)should do.1. awake, BDB 884, KB 1098, Hiphil IMPERATIVE2. shout, BDB 943, KB 1247, Piel IMPERATIVEResurrection is a concept that was apparently common in the ANE.1. Job (Edom in 2000 B.C. period), 14:13-15; 19:25-272. Egypt mummification (starting 3000± B.C., perfected in the Twenty First Dynasty)3. but not in MesopotamiaIf humans were created for fellowship with God but sin caused death, then a reversal for thefaithful seems logical. The rabbis (i.e., Pharisees) believed in a resurrection (cf. Acts 23:6; Heb. 6:1-2).Jesus believed in a resurrection (cf. Matt. 22:23-33; Luke 14:14; John 11:24-25). The concept ofheaven is a fellowship issue. Gehenna is the permanent isolation of those who refuse faith andfellowship! The imagery of the Bible for the future is a restored Eden (cf. Revelation 21-22).}NASB “the dew of the dawn”NKJV “the dew of herbs”NRSV, NJB “a radiant dew”TEV “as the sparkling dew”REB “a dew of sparkling light”Peshitta “a dew of light”JPSOA “the dew or fresh growth”This is literally “for a dew of light.” The word “light” (BDB 21) has two connotations.1. light of life vs. darkness of death (PLURAL, BDB 21 I, possibly Esther 8:16)2. herb (BDB 21 II, Gen. 1:11,12)There are only two rainy seasons in Palestine. Between these times crops were sustained and grewby means of dew. Therefore, both “dew” and “light” are symbols of life and growth!262