Isaiah Bible Study Resources — Wednesday in the Word

Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Isaiah.

Bible Study: Isaiah: Servant Songs

Jump to: Background; Maps; Key Words; Encyclopedias; Commentaries; Articles; GotQuestions Next

Basics

The prophet Isaiah ministered in and around Jerusalem as a prophet to Judah during the reigns of 4 kings of Judah: Uzziah (called “Azariah” in 2 Kings), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1), from ca. 740–686 B.C. Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea and Micah.

Biblical background: 2 Kings 15-21 and 2 Chronicles 26-33

Themes

Indictment of Jerusalem is an introduction to the themes of the whole book.

1:2-3 – covenant breach
1:4-9 – Israel’s refusal to be God’s people
1:10-20 – the problem of corrupt worship
1:21-23 – reiteration of the effects of Jerusalem’s harlotry
1:24-26 – threat of punishment as discipline
1:27-31 – salvation for the remnant
2:2-4 – future role of Mount Zion when Israel lives like the people of God.
Return from exile as a new exodus (Isaiah 43:2-7; Isaiah 43:16-21; Isaiah 54:10-12)

Cyrus, King of Persia

Predictions of return under Cyrus: Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 31:25; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 46:11.
Cyrus as a “messianic” figure (called his “anointed” in 45:1; a man of God’s choice, appointed for a redemptive purpose toward God’s people who brings judgment on God’s foes and is given dominion over the nations as an agent of YHWH.
Jacob Abbott: Cyrus the Great (1904)

Genre: Understanding Prophecy

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Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

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Section 2: Maps

Maps from Bible-History.com

Maps from Holman Bible Atlas

The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

Judah Alone amid International Powers

The Persian Period

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Section 3: Key Words

Key Words in Isaiah (NAS77)

Occurrences are based on New American Standard Text. “4x/3v” means the word appears 4 times in 3 verses. “3x” means the word appears 3 times in 3 verses.

Lord (417x); God (127v) Lord of Hosts (63x); NOTE: “I am the Lord”; “no one besides Me”; “no other”
earth (93x); heavens (19x); heaven (11x)
day (87x) – Note: “day of Lord”; “last day”; “in that day”
Israel (87x); Judah (26x); remnant (13x)
holy (52v) – Note: “Holy One of Israel”
nations (52x); nation (19x); Assyria (37v); Babylon (13x)/Chaldeans (7x)
glory (35v)
salvation (25x); compassion (14x); joy (19x); covenant (12x)
servant (22x)
woe (20x); sword (18x)
redeemer (13x); redeemed (12x); redemption (1x)