"Wildberger's commentary is a work of such importance that it must be carefully studied by each serious student of Isaiah. It is a rich and significant contribution." --Bernhard E. Hasel Bibliotheca Orientalis "It would be hard to imagine a more thorough and a more convincing presentation. I recommend this commentary unreservedly to all serious students of the Old Testament." -- John Bright Interpretation

Inspired by the author's preparation of two major commentaries on Isaiah, these essays range from comprehensive to specific, and from popular to scholarly. They first appeared in biblical dictionaries, scholarly journals, and popular periodicals. Gathered here together for the first time, they display in various ways how the authors sees the various parts of Isaiah functioning together to give a coherent message to the church. The opening chapters lay out Oswalt's understanding of the overall message of the book of Isaiah. Subsequesnt chapters consider such themse as holiness and righteousness as they function in that larger structure.

What are we to make of Isaiah's image of Mount Zion as the highest of the mountains, or Zechariah's picture of the Mount of Olives split in two, or Daniel's "beast rising out of the sea" or Revelation's "great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns"? How can Peter claim that on the day of Pentecost the prophecy of Joel was being fulfilled, with signs in heaven and wonders on earth, the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood? The language and imagery of biblical prophecy has been the source of puzzlement for many Christians and a point of dispute for some. How ironic that is! For the prophets and seers were the wordsmiths of their time. They took pains to speak God's word clearly and effectively to their contemporaries. How should we, as citizens of the twenty-first century, understand the imagery of this ancient biblical literature? Are there any clues in the texts themselves, any principles we can apply as we read these important but puzzling biblical texts? D. Brent Sandy carefully considers the language and imagery of prophecy and apocalyptic, how it is used, how it is fulfilled within Scripture, and how we should read it against the horizon of our future. Clearly and engagingly written, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks is the kind of book that gives its readers a new vantage point from which to view the landscape of prophetic and apocalyptic language and imagery.

The Old Testament prophets spoke to Israel in times of historical and moral crisis. They saw themselves as being a part of a story that God was weaving throughout history--a story of repentance, encouragement, and a coming Messiah. In this updated introductory book, each major and minor prophet and his writing are clustered with the major historical events of their time. Our generational distance from the age of the prophets might seem to be a measureless chasm. Yet we dare not make the mistake of assuming that passing years have rendered irrelevant not only the Old Testament prophets, but also the God who comprehends, spans, and transcends all time. In these pages, C. Hassell Bullock presents a clear picture of some of history's most profound spokesmen--the Old Testament prophets--and the God who shaped them.

This book argues that a series of programmatic additions were made to the oracles concerning the nations in Isa 13-23 during the late-exilic period by the same circle of writers who were responsible for Isa 40-55. These additions were made to create continuity between the ancient oracles against the nations from the Isaiah tradition.

"This scholarly commentary expounds Isaiah 13-27, which includes ten prophetic burdens on nations surrounding Israel and an extended prophetic discourse of universal judgment and salvation. The author provides a detailed analysis of the Masoretic Text in comparison to Qumran manuscripts and the ancient versions. Each passage is interpreted in its historical context within the book of Isaiah, with scriptural and theological reflections that consider its preliminary BC realization as well as its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, its relevance for the church, and its consummation at the return of Christ. Isaiah was tremendously influential for later Old Testament authors as well as the evangelists and apostles who wrote the New Testament and who cited Jesus' own quotations of this prophet, whose book is often called "the Fifth Gospel." These chapters are crucial for understanding our God and ourselves. For over two millennia the God of ancient Israel has been fulfilling his promises spoken through Isaiah, and we ourselves are part of the fulfillment"--