1. The Spirit of My Lord, the LORD, is to be upon Me;
Because the LORD shall anoint Me
to bring good tidings to men afflicted.
He shall send Me
To bind up men broken in heart;
To proclaim freedom to captives,
Yea, opening of prison to the bound.
2. To proclaim a year of goodwill of the LORD,
Even as a day of vengeance of our God,
To comfort all mourners;
3. To put things onto the mourners of Zion:
To give them a turban in place of ash,
Oil of exultation in place of mourning,
A wrapping of praise in place of a dim spirit;
For a name shall be given them:
The oaks of His righteousness,
The planting of the LORD to show His glory.
4. For they shall build up ruins of eternity;
They will raise up former desolations;
Yea, they shall renew cities in ruin,
the desolations of generation on generation.
5. For strangers shall stand
and shepherd your flocks,
Yea, sons of a foreigner as your plowmen
and your vinedressers;
6. Even as ye yourselves will be proclaimed
the priests of the LORD;
It will be said to you "the ministers of our God";
You will eat strength of nations;
Yea, in their glory will ye boast.
The reading from the Old Testament which is assigned to the Third Sunday after the Feast of the
Epiphany of our Lord in Series C of Lutheran Worship consists in the initial six verses of the
sixty-first chapter of the Prophet Isaiah. (The exegesis of these verses below is, assuredly, in no
way designed to promote the use in the main service of the week of any such modern selection of
gospels and epistles as those which are suggested in Lutheran Worship. This exegete, on the
contrary, would continue to urge, on various grounds, fidelity to the pericopal tradition inherited
from the ancient church by the church of the reformation and modified only slightly by the
Blessed Reformer of the Church, if one is speaking specifically of the gospels and epistles to be
read in the main (eucharistic) service of the week. No comparable series of readings, on the
other hand, from the Old Testament was either handed down from the ancient church or
bestowed on us by the Blessed Reformer; nor, indeed, is there such a program of readings from
the New Testament to be used in all the possible additional offices of any given week. In such
cases, therefore, even such a traditionalist as this exegete is able, with consistency, to make use
of any pericope drawn from the region of Holy Scripture desired.)
The historical and literary observations which follow assume the auctorial integrity of the Book of Isaiah which this exegete has defended elsewhere (especially in An Introduction to the Book of Isaiah). Isaiah ben-Amoz began his lengthy prophetic ministry of some six decades already in 739 B.C. in the final year of the reign of Uzziah as King of Judah. He then uttered the various prophecies contained in the first main unit of the Book of Isaiah (chapters 1-35 as we have come to call them since medieval times) on various occasions in the years leading up to 701 B.C. In the course of these years Isaiah prophesied again and again the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians which finally occurred in 701 B.C. in the midst of the reign of Hezekiah -- as recounted in the "historical bridge" constituting chapters 36-39 of his magnum opus.
Isaiah then proceeded to compose in the course of the ensuing two decades the tightly integrated third unit of his book consisting in the chapters which we now enumerate as 40-66. The prophet had, indeed, evidently finished these chapters by the time that King Hezekiah died in 686 B.C. in view of the absence of any succeeding king from the superscription to the volume as a whole (1:1). Isaiah subsequently published the final edition of his book in its entirety circa 680 B.C., shortly before his martyrdom in the bloody persecution of the true faith sponsored by King Manasseh.
An additional presupposition in the exegesis here is the elaborate nature of the triadic structure
which characterizes the whole third unit of Isaiah (chapters 40-66), as has, again, been delineated
in detail elsewhere (ibid.). Chapters 58-66 of Isaiah constitute the third of the three main
divisions of this third unit of Isaiah and, so also, the seventh of the seven distinct cantos of the
volume in toto. Each of these cantos provides, in its own individual way, the rationale of the
thesis of Isaiah as a whole, namely, that the Lord is the only reasonable object of faith.
Canto 7, then, of the Book of Isaiah argues that the Lord is the only reasonable object of faith because, in addition to all the points presented previously, He gives a blessed future to His people in time and eternity. This future bliss was to come, predicted Isaiah, in the messianic age (1.) through the repentance of Israel (chapters 58-60), (2.) through the word of the Messiah Himself (chapters 61:1-63:6), and (3.) again, in chiastic fashion, through the repentance of Israel (chapters 63:7-66:24).
Within the middle sub-canto (chapters 61:1-63:6) of Canto 7, the first section clearly concludes with a stanza (61: 10 and 11) in which there is a change in speakers from the preceding verses (61: 1-9), as there is, contrariwise, a change back again to the Messiah speaking in the ensuing section (chapter 62). The first section, then, of the sub-canto is coterminous with Isaiah 61, which, in turn, falls into three stanzas. The beginning of the third stanza (verses 10-11) is, as already stated, obvious by virtue of the change in speakers. Verses 7-9, theretofore, comprise a second stanza distinguishable from the preceding verses by the emphatic position of tachath ("instead of") at the head of verse 7, as opposed to the infinitive constructs or waws which commence verses 2-6 and so bind them more closely to verse 1. There is, in addition, a suggestive move within the first half of verse 7 from the plural of the second person (as in the previous two verses) to the plural of the third person.
Stanza 1 itself, in turn, is clearly divisible on into three sub-stanzas on ground of differing grammatical usage. The succession of the seven infinitive constructs in verses 1-3a contrasts markedly with the more usual waws which conjoin the ensuing verses. The demarcation, within verses 3b-6, between a second and third sub-stanza emanates from the transition in grammatical persons which transpires with the first word of verse 5. Verses 3a-4, on the one hand, speak of the people of God only in the plural of the third person, while verses 5-6 speak directly to the people of God in the plural of the second person (as well as speaking in the third person of particular groups within the church as a whole).
The following outline thus emerges of the Seventh Canto of Isaiah (chapters 58-66) with special
emphasis on chapter 61 of the book:
3. Because of His promise to them (verses 10-12)
In the division of verses in this outline into parts "a" and "b" the line of demarcation is always the massoretic 'athnach. Within 61:1b, however, the division between parts 1 and 2 has been made at the rbhia' and then within 1b2 at the first zaqeph-qaton (above lebh, "heart"). In the first half of verse 2 the zaqeph-qaton, above the tetragrammeton, serves, in the more usual way, as the dividing line. In verse 3a, again, the bifurcation between parts 1 and 2 occurs with the first rbhia' (above tziyyon, "Zion"), while in verse 3b the zaqeph-qaton, above hatztzedheq ("the righteousness"), fulfils the same role as in verse 2a.
The six verses, then, which are the objects of this study all fall within the middle sub-canto (chapters 61:1-63:6) of the Seventh Canto of Isaiah, which has as its theme that the Lord gives a blessed future to His people through the word of the Messiah. Verses 1-6, specifically, constitute the first of the three stanzas which comprise chapter 61 and speak of the commission of the Messiah to proclaim the gospel of salvation.
In these and ensuing three verses, indeed, the speaker is the Messiah Himself (61: 1-9), as is
confirmed, for one thing, by His own citation of verses 1-2 in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4
[verses 18-19 in the framework of 16-21]). The Messiah describes in these nine verses His
commission to preach and the addressees of His gospel. Of special significance in the contextual
contours of the discourse as a whole is verse 8, which is pivotal, not only to the second stanza in
which its appears, but equally to the first stanza with which we are currently concerned. For
there the Messiah promises to establish His new testament to give sinners eternal salvation
(brith-'olam) on the basis of His own self-sacrifice in holiness. In the second stanza the results
of the vicarious work of the Messiah are the creation of the catholic church of the new testament,
embracing Gentiles as well as Jews (in verse 9, as here in verses 5-6), and the eternal joy and
general blessedness of the members of this church (in verses 7 and 9, as here in verse 3).
1. The Spirit of My Lord, the LORD, is to be upon Me;
Because the LORD shall anoint Me
to bring good tidings to men afflicted.
He shall send Me
To bind up men broken in heart;
To proclaim freedom to captives,
Yea, opening of prison to the bound.
The first clause of Isaiah 61 emphasizes the participation of all three persons in the work of redemption. The speaker of the words, as already stated, is God the Son foretelling His relationship to His collhe Messiah's promulgation of His commission. The noun is definite ("the Spirit") by virtue of its role as the initial word in a construct chain in which the ensuing word is definite by virtue of its pronominal suffix as well as its use as a proper noun ("My Lord"). There can, therefore, be no doubt that the reference is to the one and only Spirit of God Himself, which is to say the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
This verse is expounded as beautifully as possible in the course of the most extensive discussion of christology in the Book of Concord. Article VIII of the Formula of Concord is entitled "Von der Person Christi" and runs to ninety-six sections in the Solid Declaration. Sections 72-74 quote from Isaiah 11:2 but are equally applicable to Isaiah 61 [BC, 605-606, altering only the capitalization]:
... we believe, teach, and confess that God the Father gave the Spirindered in English as "the LORD" (with four capital letters). In this case, actually, the massoretes have pointed the unutterable name of the One True God with shewa and chireq to indicate that, rather than being read aloud as 'adhonai in the usual way, the tetragrammeton was on this occasion to be read as 'elohim. Such directions are given elsewhere too, when the actual form 'adhonai immediately precedes the Divine Name, so as to avoid repetition. For this cause, likewise, do the Authorized Version and the New King James Version substitute the word "GOD" (again with all letters capitalized) for the usual "LORD" as the translation of the tetragrammeton. It is a unique feature of the pointing of 'adhonai itself that, when the reference is to God rather than a human lord, the vowel preceding the yodh of the first singular of the pronominal suffix is qametz instead of the usual chireq (or pathach with the plural).
The Holy Spirit receives special emphasis here by virtue of the position of the word ruach at the head of tlness demonstrates and manifests itself spontaneously and with all power in, with, and through the human nature. The result is not that He knows only certain things and does not know certain other things, or that He can do certain things and cannot do certain other things, but that He knows and can do everything. The Father poured out upon Him without measure the Spirit of wisdom and power, so that as a man, through the personal union, he really and truly has received all knowledge and all power. In this way all the treasures of wisdom are hid in Him, all authority is given to Him, and He is exalted to the right hand of the majesty and power of God.
The Bekenntnisschriften der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche has no actual citation of any biblical passage in the confessional text itself of the foregoing quotation, but not only do the editors cite Isaiah 11:2 with cross-refet to Christ, His beloved Son, according to the assumed human nature (whence He is called Messiah, or the Anointed [One}) in such a way that He received the Spirit's gifts not by measure, like other saints. The "Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might and knowledge" (Isa. 11:2; 61:1) does not rest upon Christ the Lord according to His assumed human nature (according to the deity He is of one essence with the Holy Spirit) in such a manner that as a man He therefore knows and can do only certain things in the way in which other saints know and can do things through the Holy Spirit who endows them only with created gifts. Rather, since Christ according to the Godhead is the second person in the Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit proceeds from Him as well as from the Father (and therefore He is and remains to all eternity His and the Father's own Spirit, who is never separated from the Son), it follows that through personal union the entire fullness of the Spirit (as the ancient fathers say) is communicated to Christ according to the flesh that is personally united with the Son of God. This fullness demonstrates and manifests itself spontaneously and with all power in, with, and through the human nature. The result is not that He knows only certain things and does not know certain other things, or that He can do certain things and cannot do certain other things, but that He knows and can do everything. The Father poured out upon Him without measure the Spirit of wisdom and power, so that as a man, through the personal union, he really and truly has received all knowledge and all power. In this way all the treasures of wisdom are hid in Him, all authority is given to Him, and He is exalted to the right hand of the majesty and power of God.
The Bekenntnisschriften der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche has no actual citation of any biblical passage in the confessional text itself of the foregoing quotation, but not only do the dard Bible translates the first four worrence to 61:1 in the annotations at the bottom of the page, but also "Esai. 61" is printed in italics in the outside margin of the Latin text [BKELK, 1041].
Additional points to be given consideration in this verse include the evangelical and evangelistic
connotation which come to predominate in bsr ("bring good tidings") and the integral connection
between dror ("freedom") and the jubilarian and sabbatical years of the Mosaic Law. This
exegete, unfortunately, lacks the time at this juncture to elaborate here.
2. To proclaim a year of goodwill of the LORD,
Even as a day of vengeance of our God,
To comfort all mourners;
3. To put things onto the mourners of Zion:
To give them a turban in place of ash,
Oil of exultation in place of mourning,
A wrapping of praise in place of a dim spirit;
For a name shall be given them:
The oaks of His righteousness,
The planting of the LORD to show His glory.
The word "goodwill" in the translation above renders the noun ratzon in the original text of verse 2. The word means "goodwill, favor, acceptance" and especially the goodwill of God in the acceptance of those offering sacrifices, as this exegete has indicated elsewhere ["Propitiation in Old Testament Prophecy"]. Thus,ngeance" serves to increase the appreciation of the messianic propitiation by the stark contrast with the divine wrath which it appeased.
Two emanations of the root p'r appear in verse 3 of Isaiah 61, even though it is impossible to translate them into English in such a way as to show the etymological relationship between them. The one manifestation of the root is the noun p'er in the midst of the second clause ("turban"), while the other is the infinitive lhithpa'er at the very end of the verse, which is rendered as "to show His glory" in the translation above. There is a third eds of verse 2 "to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD" in line with the phraseology of the Authorized Version, "to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD" (as also the New King James Version). The Revised Standard Version approaches the original text more closely with "to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor" at this point. This divine goodwill toward men is really the essence of the messianic gospel, since without it there could be no good tidings or freedom or consolation of sinners. Like the "time" of 49:8, here the word "year" singles out a particular point in history at which the Messiah was to change the disposition of God toward man from wrath to acceptance.
Nor need we follow the chiliasts and take one giant leap from the first coming to the second coming in the middle of the clause under discussion just because the second phrase warns of "a day of vengeance of our God" (yom-naqam). For the Messiah as the Prophet Par Excellence had to proclaim the whole truth of God. He, in consequence, who won God's acceptance of all men has to press simultaneously the revival of God's wrath against all those who fail to receive His propitiation through faith (as is averred in John 3:36). No one can preach the gospel faithfully unless he preach faithfully the law of God. The antithetical parallelism, indeed, between the "year of favor" and the "day of vengeance" serves to increase the appreciation of the messianic propitiation by the stark contrast with the divine wrath which it appeased.
Two emanations of the root p'r appear in verse 3 of Isaiah 61, even though it is impossible to translate them into English in such a way as to show the etymological relationship between them. The one manifestation of the root is the noun p'er in the midst of the second clause ("turban"), while the other is the infinitive lhithpa'er at the very end of the verse, which is rendered as "to show His glory" in the translation above. There is a third expression of the root p'r in the Old Testament, namely the feminine noun tiph'arah, which occurs, in fact, more frequently than either the verb or the cognate noun [BDB, 802b].
The masculine noun p'er is, indeed, found but seven times in the TaNaK. The verb p'r appears six times in the piel, three of these being in Isaiah 60 (in verses 7, 9, and 13) and a fourth in Isaiah 55:5, the instances outside Isaiah coming in Ezra 7:27 and Psalm 149:4 [BDB, 802a]. The hithpael, similarly, occurs seven times, in Exodus 8:5 and Judges 7:2 and five times in Isaiah, namely in 10:15, 44:23, 49:3, 60:21, and here in 61:3 [BDB, 802a-b]. Thus, of the total of its thirteen appearances in the Old Testament, nine of them come in the Book of Isaiah and majority of those in his sixtieth chapter, which is connected very closely with the pericope now before us.
The noun p'er is rendered "beauty" in verse 3 and "ornaments" in verse 10 by the Authorized Version. The Revised Standard Version and New American Standard Bible with more consistency use "garland" in both cases, but "turban" would be a more precise translation [BDB, 802b]. The word could, to be sure, be applied to various head-wrappings of men, as appears from Ezekiel 24 (verses 17 and 23), and even of some women (Isaiah 3:20). Verse 10 of Isaiah 61 identifies the particular variety of p'er intended here as being more specifically a form of headdress which was uniquely worn by priests and bridegrooms, since, evidently, the bridegroom on his wedding-day wore a special sort of turban, made of linen, usually reserved to priests, as Exodu. In Isaiah 60, in any case, the piel of p'r speaks of the intention of the Lord to glorify His church through the work of the Messiah (verses 7, 9, and 13), as also in 55:5.
The hithpael, in turn, in Isaiah 60:21 and here in 61:3 bespeaks the determination of the Lord to show His glory through the church which He has cres "beautify" even before "glorify" and, likewise, tiph'arah as "beauty" before "glory" at basis [BDB, 802a-b]. Although, however, there is evidence aplenty of "glory" as a meaning, there is no real proof of "beauty" in either the usage or the etymology. Semitic cognates of p'r and its associates are, in fact, strikingly lacking [BDB, 802a-b].
This phenomenon, however, becomes reasonable when one realizes that p'er is, in actuality, an Egyptian loanword, arising from pyr [KBSR, III, 908b-909a]. The verb p'r, then, as intimated by its restriction to the piel and hithpael, is properly seen as a denominative verb derived from p'er rather than vice versa [KBSR, III, 908b]. The p'er was reserved to people of a certain rank, whether enduring rank or, in the case of a bridegroom, acceded to him, by tradition on at least the occasion of his wedding. Its wearing would thereby have been an indication of social and even, in the case again of bridegrooms and priests, religious glory as well as of joy.
It was presumably in this way that the verb p'r came to mean "glorify" in the piel and "show one's glory" in the hithpael [KBSR, III, 908b]. Followed by the preposition 'al (meaning "against" in this connection) it then picks up the significance of "boast against" someone (in Judges 7:2 and Isaiah 10:15), although the hithpa'er 'alai which Moses addresses to the pharaoh in Exodus 8:5 probably represents the traditional phraseology of the etiquette of the royal court, as we might ask someone to "do us the honor of" telling us to do something [KBSR, III, 908b]. In Isaiah 60, in any case, the piel of p'r speaks of the intention of the Lord to glorify His church through the work of the Messiah (verses 7, 9, and 13), as also in 55:5.
The hithpael, in turn, in Isaiah 60:21 and here in 61:3 bespeaks the determination of the Lord to
show His glory through the church which He has created. Such is certainly the idea, too, in 44:23
where the preposition beth is prefixed to yisra'el ("Israel"). In 49:3, similarly, God the Father
expresses His intention of showing His glory through the Messiah Himself (who is called yisra'el
by a metonymy of bodily inheritance, even as the church is often called yisra'el by a metonymy
of spiritual inheritance).
4. For they shall build up ruins of eternity;
They will raise up former desolations;
Yea, they shall renew cities in ruin,
the desolations of generation on generation.
The people of God lay in "ruins" -- as "desolations" of long standing -- at the time of the
incarnation of the Messiah by virtue of the general apostasy of the Gentiles into paganism of
various kinds and the self-righteousness and even hypocrisy of so many of the Jews. The church
of God is called "ruins of eternity" because her members were elected in eternity to live to all
eternity by the grace of God in the Messiah.
5. For strangers shall stand
and shepherd your flocks,
Yea, sons of a foreigner as your plowmen
and your vinedressers;
6. Even as ye yourselves will be proclaimed
the priests of the LORD;
It will be said to you "the ministers of our God";
You will eat strength of nations;
Yea, in their glory will ye boast.
All the members of the church are called "priests" and "ministers" of God in the sense of mediating between God and the world, praying on its behalf to God and witnessing in its midst to the Messiah. In the messianic era of the new testament the church was to include people of all nations. Gentiles were to serve, indeed, as pastors of the congregations ("flocks") of the church in places all over the world.