Appendix 10 | Table
of Contents | Appendix 12
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Alfred Edersheim
1883
Appendix 11
ON THE PROPHECY, IS. 40:3
(See Book II. ch. 11.)
ACCORDING to the Synoptic Gospels, the public appearance and
preaching of John was the fulfilment of the prediction with which the second
part of the prophecies of Isaiah opens, called by the Rabbis, 'the book of
consolations.' After a brief general preface (Is. xl. 1, 2), the words occur
which are quoted by St. Matthew and St. Mark (Is. xl. 3), and more fully by St.
Luke (Is. xl. 3-5). A more appropriate beginning of 'the book of consolations'
could scarcely be conceived.
The quotation of Is. xl. 3 is made according to the LXX., the
only difference being the change of 'paths of our God' into 'His paths.' The
divergences between the LXX. and our Hebrew text of Is. xl. 4, 5 are somewhat
more numerous, but equally unimportant - the main difference from the Hebrew
original lying in this, that, instead of rendering 'all flesh shall see it
together,' we have in the LXX. and the New Testament, 'all flesh shall see the
salvation of God.' As it can scarcely be supposed that the LXX. read w(#y
for wdxy, we must regard their rendering as Targumic. Lastly,
although according to the accents in the Hebrew Bible we should read, 'The
Voice of one crying: In the wilderness prepare,' &c., yet, as alike the
LXX., the Targum, and the synoptists render, 'The Voice of one crying in the
wilderness: Prepare,' their testimony must be regarded as outweighing the
authority of the accents, which are of so much later date.
But the main question is, whether Is. xl. 3, &c., refers to
Messianic times or not. Most modern interpreters regard it as applying to the
return of the exiles from Babylon. This is not the place to enter on a critical
discussion of the passage; but it may be remarked that the insertion of the
word 'salvation' in v.5 by the LXX. seems to imply that they had viewed it as
Messianic. It is, at any rate, certain that the Synopists so understood the
rendering of the LXX. But this is not all. The quotation from Is. xl. was
regarded by the Evangelists as fulfilled, when John the Baptist announced the
coming Kingdom of God. We have proof positive that, on the supposition of the
correctness of the announcement made by John, they only took the view of their
contemporaries in applying Is. lx. 3, &c., to the preaching of the Baptist.
The evidence here seems to be indisputable, for the Targum renders the close
of v. 9 ('say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!') by the words:
'Say to the cities of the House of Judah, the Kingdom of your God shall be
manifested.'
In fact, according to the Targum, 'the good tidings' are not
brought by Zion nor by Jerusalem, but to Zion and to
Jerusalem.
Appendix 10 | Table
of Contents | Appendix 12
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