Isaiah 4

Isaiah 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets.^[1]

Isaiah 4
← chapter 3 chapter 5 →
The Great Isaiah Scroll, the best preserved of the biblical scrolls found at Qumran from the second century BC, contains all the verses in this chapter.
Book	Book of Isaiah
Hebrew Bible part	Nevi'im
Order in the Hebrew part	5
Category	Latter Prophets
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	23

Text

The original text was written in Hebrew language. This chapter is the shortest in the Book of Isaiah, with only 6 verses. American theologian Albert Barnes argued that "there was no reason why these six verses should have been made a separate chapter" from Isaiah 3.^[2]

The New King James Version calls verses 2-6 "The Renewal of Zion".

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[3]

Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (3rd century BC or later):^[4]

• 1QIsa^a: complete
• 4QIsa^a (4Q55): extant: verses 5-6

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^Q; 6th century).^[5]

Parashot

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex.^[6] Isaiah 4 is a part of the Prophecies about Judah and Israel (Isaiah 1-12). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.

[{S} 3:18-26] 4:1 {S} 4:2-6 {P}

Jerusalem's future (3:25–4:1)

This section, which starting from 3:25, states without any imagery how the city in actuality is bereft.^[7]

Verse 1

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying,

"We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel;

Only let us be called by your name,

To take away our reproach."^[8]

The New King James Version treats verse 1 as a continuation of chapter 3 and reformation theologian John Calvin argued that "this verse certainly ought not to have been separated from the preceding".^[9] Whereas in Isaiah 3:6 the men "take hold of" (tapas) a man to get a ruler, in this verse the women "take hold of" (chazaq) a man to get a husband.^[7] The women supplying their own food and apparel is a reversal of the marriage ordering in Exodus 21:10.^[7]

Zion's renewal (4:2–6)

Verse 2

In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious;

And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing

For those of Israel who have escaped.^[10]

The text in the Septuagint is different:

In that day, God shall shine in counsel with glory upon the earth, to exalt, and to glorify the remnant of Israel.^[2]

See also

• Mount Zion
• Related Bible parts: Isaiah 3, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 53, Jeremiah 23, Jeremiah 33, Zechariah 3, Zechariah 9, Luke 1, Romans 11, Revelation 22

Notes and references

1. Theodore Hiebert, et al. 1996. The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume VI. Nashville: Abingdon.
2. Barnes, A., Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 4, accessed 7 March 2018
3. Würthwein 1995, pp. 35–37.
4. Ulrich 2010, p. 337-338.
5. Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
6. As reflected in the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English.
7. Motyer 2015, p. 64.
8. Isaiah 4:1 NKJV
9. Calvin, J., Calvin's Commentaries on Isaiah 4, accessed 7 March 2018
10. Isaiah 4:2 NKJV

Bibliography

• Coggins, R (2007). "22. Isaiah". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 433–586. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
• Motyer, J. Alec (2015). The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830895243.
• Ulrich, Eugene, ed. (2010). The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants. Brill.
• Würthwein, Ernst (1995). The Text of the Old Testament. Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-0788-7. Retrieved January 26, 2019.

External links

Jewish

• Isaiah 4:Original Hebrew with Parallel English

Christian

• Isaiah 4 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate^{[permanent dead link]}