"Isaiah " (J. Gordon McConville)

TITLE: Isaiah (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Prophetic Books)
AUTHOR: J. Gordon McConville
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023, (800 pages).
 

The Book of Isaiah has sometimes been called the fifth gospel. That is because of its stark references and prophecies about Jesus. Just Isaiah chapter 53 alone, with its multiple references to a servant king, can be deemed the gospel in a nutshell. It has also been called a mini-Bible because it has 66 chapters of which the first 39 chapters talk about Old Testament age while the subsequent 27 chapters point us to the New Testament era. As the largest book in the Major Prophets category, Isaiah has gained wide interest among scholars and theologians. It combines prophecy with history, narrative, poetry, and proverb. This BCOT series is written from the perspective of the book's unique rhetorical structures and historical relationships. Key to the interpretation is the text itself. Every text needs proper exegesis prior to any attempt to interpret it. Isaiah is one of the most beautiful and fascinating books in the Bible. Due to the size and the wide scope covered, commentators have adopted different ways of segmenting the book without disrupting its overall flow. It has been done chronologically, structurally, thematically, and theologically. In this new work, author and professor Gordon McConville takes the "inter-textual meaning" approach to look at patterns in the book and link them to history. For that, he considers a combination of all of these approaches before settling on the following:

• Vision of YHWH (Isa 1-12:6)
• Oracles of the Nations (Isa 13-27:13)
• True and False Trust (Isa 28-35:10)
• Miraculous Deliverance of Jerusalem (Isa 36-39:8)
• Cyrus, the Servant, and the Redemption of Zion/Jerusalem (Isa 40:1-55:13)
• The True Character of Glorified Zion/Jerusalem (Isa 56-66:24)

How do we interpret Isaiah as a document to speak to modern-day readers? McConville shows us how with the following style. He gives us a general overview of Isaiah. This is a must-read section of the commentary for it describes his historical overview and his approach. He also points out sections that are seemingly unrelated and instead of trying to squeeze them into his structure, he considers them individually without isolating them from the whole. Here, themes are key to keeping them together. Another way to use the dates is according to the kings mentioned in the texts. What is important is the consistent awareness that the details within each chapter are in line with the overall thrust of Scripture. At the same time, because of the uniqueness of Isaiah in its direct link to the Servant King, there is invariably a strong bridge to the Person of Jesus Christ, namely the Immanuel motif. 

My Thoughts
This commentary follows the conventional ways of letting the texts guide the chronological commentary flow. This allows readers to refer easily and quickly to portions of the texts as needed. That said, I feel that anyone using this commentary should not treat each section in isolation from the rest. In other words, try not to use this commentary like a dictionary where one simply tries to pick verses out without appreciating the thrust of the whole book. That is why I recommend reading at least the introduction portion before jumping into any of the detailed descriptions. Admittedly, the ancient text is not organized like the way modern books are written. That requires commentators to do the heavy lifting of structuring the commentary as presented. This is perhaps the toughest part of any commentary, something which I feel McConville has done well: the organization. As again, just like every translation is in itself an interpretation, this commentary is an interpretation of what Isaiah is all about. Thankfully, the author has consulted some of the best biblical scholars in the writing of this book. That keeps the work more in line with community awareness rather than personal subjective opinions. I appreciate the efforts to synchronize the chapter numbers of the book with the actual chapters in the Isaiah scroll. It's a challenging task given that the original writers did not have the kind of reference numbers like modern translations today. Being able to keep the themes, the texts, and the commentary in sync as much as possible is a tricky task indeed. This the author did with much success, save for some slight deviations toward the end of the commentary.

So how did this book fare in bringing ancient truths to a modern audience? Here are three thoughts. Firstly, the translation is a new one, chiefly, the author's personal rendering of the Hebrew text. If there is any interpretation, it begins with this level of translation. That is why I recommend that readers compare their regular Bible versions with this McConville version before reading the descriptions. Sometimes, the nuances of the interpretation can be understood from the differences in the translations themselves. With the commentator himself doing the translation, the author is essentially looking at the primary source instead of secondary translations. This is like cutting away the "middle man" to get at the original meaning of the text. One example is the way McConville translates and interprets the heavenly vision seen from the eyes of Isaiah. He is able to put into words the breathtaking scene, describing the sights, the sounds, and the sensations of being in the presence of God Almighty. When in such awe of God, the only response is a simple act of obedience, which was exactly what Isaiah did.

Secondly, the "theological reflection" section is what makes this commentary unique. While it does not necessarily lead to explicit applications, they offer a vision of a new heaven and new earth, combining the paradigm of the now-not-yet for us to pray and seek God. Yet, there is a sense that when in doubt, the text determines the meaning. So, not all chapters end with a "reflection." Some end with "theological interpretation." I am not sure why the differences, or maybe they are typos. However, if the label is intentional, it would probably point to subtle differences in terms of applications. "Reflection" is the author's path forward like giving a sermon, while the "interpretation" lets the readers take charge, after listening to the meaning. Sometimes, people tend to expect commentaries to give them "model answers" to their questions. This commentary does not do that. It points out the meaning of the texts so that we can do our part in interpretation and application.

Finally, why should anyone get this book? Of course, anyone who loves the Bible will always be open to learning new things pertaining to the Scriptures. For preachers and teachers, it is a nice balance of scholarship and commentary to get a gist of the text and its meaning. Isaiah is a beautiful book but can be challenging to interpret. Thankfully with this commentary, it is hoped that readers will be motivated to study the texts more deeply, and to share the teaching more widely. 

J. Gordon McConville (PhD, Queen's University, Belfast) is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Theology at the University of Gloucestershire in Gloucestershire, England. He previously taught at Trinity College, Bristol, and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. McConville has written or edited many books, including Being Human in God's World, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets, and commentaries on Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Isaiah. 

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.