Chapter 58 The second chapter in the ch. 57-66 block has as its theme the observance of the religious festivals, or Sabbaths, of the Law. In these divinely instituted festivals fasting was observed and the periods of time of the festivals were Sabbaths in that the observants were to cease from their occupations and lay aside the secular things of life in favor of the religious. Isaiah uses the context of these festivals to address an issue that has plagued religion from day one: form versus content. The chiastic parallel to this chapter is ch. 64-65 which also includes some parenthetical material. The non-parenthetical material between ch. 58 and 65 is quite complementary. But, the question arises as to the role of the parenthetical material and the purpose of its location. The first parenthesis (63:19c-64:11) recounts/predicts the plea of Israel to the Lord for divine intervention in the face of destruction. This kind of plea follows well after the text of ch. 63, but also is reminiscent of the subject of ch. 58. Here in ch. 58 we have Israel asking questions of the Lord and the Lord responding, telling Israel that their worship is form without content and that they must repent or He will continue to ignore them. The first parenthesis follows the same theme that the Lord is ignoring Israel, but Israel pleads with Him and confesses their errant ways. The second parenthesis (64:8-12) then informs Israel that the righteous will be redeemed but the wicked who deliberately ignored Him will be destroyed. What is it they are deliberately ignoring? The substance of ch. 58, namely they need to fill their form with content. The textual structure of the chapter is mainly series of parallelisms of varying complexity. Most are fairly straightforward synonymous parallels like v. 3a-b: A - "Why, when we fasted, B - did You not see? A - When we starved our bodies, B - did You pay no heed?" And v. 13: A - If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, A - From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; B - If you call the sabbath "delight," B - The Lord's holy day "honored". Some can be arranged in fairly simple chiasmus like v. 2: A - To be sure, they seek Me daily, B - Eager to learn My ways. C - Like a nation that does what is right, C - That has not abandoned the laws of its God, B - They ask Me for the right way, A - They are eager for the nearness of God. v1-7 Note the chiastic counter to this section has imagery of people eating and rejoicing where this section is about misery and hunger without true fasting. v1 Israel is summoned to be informed of its sins and rebellion against the Lord, cp. Hosea 8:1, Micah 3:8. The text of the rest of the chapter compose the accusations leveled against Israel and the subsequent entreaty. This verse serves to establish that Isaiah has been authorized by the Lord to deliver this rebuke to Israel. Contrast this verse with 40:9, 61:1-2. v1b "ram's horn", the shofar, or ceremonial ram's horn, was blown to signal ingathering for festival sabbaths. The original source in the Torah was when Israel was summoned to covenant with the Lord at Mount Sinai, cf. Exod. 19:13-19. For other appearances of the shofar in Isaiah see 18:3, 27:13. v2 can be read as either sarcastic or ironic. I tend to favor the ironical reading as Isaiah employs powerful irony elsewhere in his writings, and sarcasm doesn't seem to be his style. The irony would be that Israel has failed to heed preceding admonitions similar to this one from the Lord's prophets (cf. Amos 5:4, Ps. 50), yet still expect and even anticipate the Lord's blessings. Israel appears to be in denial over its rebellion, cp. 29:13, 48:1. v3-4 Religious festivals were typically observed by fasting and religious festivals were sabbaths (cf. Zech. 8:19, and see Lev. 16:29 in conjunction with the Ps. refs. below), thus the cited prohibition of failing to observe the sabbath. Part of the reason for fasting is to soften our hearts by afflicting our bodies in hunger (Ps. 35:13, 69:10, 109:24), hence its frequent observance in conjunction with mourning. Yet these people are hard-hearted even when fasting, not only in violating the sabbath but also in maltreating their employees. One would see this as indicative of their extremely uncharitable nature despite the performance of the ritual aspects of the fast. v3a-b Israel asks the Lord a question and the rest of verses 3 to 7 are the Lord's response to the question. Israel's very question illustrates their centrism on the physical aspects of worship. The Lord's response vigorously forwards the spiritual aspects of worship, particularly of the fast. Compare 1:13-15, 40:27, 59:1-4. v4a-b compare 3:5. v4d Here the statement is negative, but it implies that correct fasting does make your voice heard on high. v5 presents a series of mechanical acts and goes so far as to compare the bowing with that of a mindless bulrush that bends in the wind. Israel's worship has become automatic and substanceless, cp. 24:5. v6-7 The true fast is defined. Note here that the spiritual nature of the fast is forwarded and it is not contemplation or introspection, but rather is one of action in eliminating hunger poverty and injustice in the community. This is a spirituality of action and deliberate works. Obviously, this is not to say that contemplation and introspection are not a part of fasting, but rather that the primary point of fasting is the softening of ones heart through physical affliction such that it sensitizes the individual to the plight of others. This softening is to result in the individual actually doing something to eliminate the misery of others. This is the true fast, and is very much contrary to the fast described in v. 3-4. Jesus' comments in Matt. 25:31-46 probably have their source in this passage. v6 While this verse appears to be more physical in its presentation regarding the liberating of the oppressed, 61:1 makes a similar statement where a spiritual interpretation is forwarded. v6d It was a requirement under the Law that unfairly oppressed persons be made free, cp. 1:17, 3:15. The requirement is also mentioned in v. 10. v7 Love thy neighbor, one of the essential commandments of religion here is defined regarding what behavior qualifies. v8-14 The Lord's entreaty to Israel. v8-9b Compare 52:12, 60:1 and Ps. 91, 121 for similar statements. v8b Contrast 1:5-6. v8c-d is very much derivative of the Exodus account where the Lord miraculously lead and guarded Israel. The exodus references further forward the fasting and sabbath as Passover was one of the three divinely instituted feasts. v9a-b The WB states, "This verse is of particular importance for the understanding of what the Old Testament means by salvation. When Israel (or an individual) calls upon God and he hears, that is, lets it be known that he hears, answers, says, `Here I am', this is being saved or salvation". What it means is that you are in God's favor, or that His face is inclined towards you, cp. 30:19, 65:24, 2 Chron. 7:14, ct. 30:10-11. v9c-10 indicates the absolute necessity of social justice in order for a society to fare well. v10c-11 is similar in content to Ps. 23. v10c-d cp. 60:1-2 v11a-b Again, derivative of the Exodus account where the Lord lead them always and provided water miraculously. v11c cp. 66:14. v11d-e Reminiscent of the millennial garden of Eden statements by Isaiah, cp. 51:3, 61:11. v12 Compare 45:14, 49:17, 54:11-14, 55:5, 60:1-18, 61:4. v13-14 blatantly equates the sabbath theme from ch. 56 with the fasting theme of this chapter. These two verses present a compaction and recounting of v. 1-12 except that here a more spiritual interpretation is favored. This is done to present a more "Love God" theme to the "Love thy neighbor" theme of v. 6-10. This section also offers more spiritual blessings where the preceding text dealt with primarily physical blessings. v13 Compare 1:13 for a similar statement. Curiously enough, they do not incur the death penalty here. In the Torah, desecration of the sabbath is a capital offense, Num. 15:32-36. Has their physical performance, even without spiritual content, spared them the penalty of physical death and left them spiritually dead? v14b "astride the heights of the earth", the Lord promises to lift up, or exalt, those who honor the Lord's sabbaths. Compare 52:7 and Deut 32:13 for other references of mankind walking on the mountains and Amos 4:13 and Micah 1:3 for the Lord walking on mountains. See also 40:28-31 where the Lord states He will condescend to life men up. v14c The heritage of father Jacob was the land of his fathers, prosperity in offspring, protection from his enemies and ultimately eternal life.