Table of Contents
Who was Isaiah in The Bible?
- Isaiah was a Jewish prophet in the bible.
- The book of Isaiah bears his name and shows and declares what God gave Him as a prophet to speak to Israel and the world.
- His writings are particularly Messianic in nature and point to the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Isaiah is known by many biblical commentators as Judah's Evangelist since he was a prophet primarily to the Kingdom of Judah
- Isaiah was a descendant of Judah and Tamar.
5 Things About Isaiah - Biblical Facts
Who was Isaiah?
- For between 40-60 years, Isaiah served as prophet from about 740 to about 680 BC.
- He was married and had a family.
- The name Isaiah means “the Lord is salvation.”
- He was one of the main advisers to King Hezekiah during the time of his reign.
- The Prophet, Isaiah, is the most frequently quoted prophet in The Bible.
- He was the prophet who was instructed by God to be shirtless and naked as a sign to the Egyptians in Isaiah 20:1-4 .
| Event / Stage | Biblical Reference | Approximate Date (BCE) | Notes / Scholarly Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of Isaiah | Isaiah 6:1–8 | c. 740 BCE | Isaiah called in the year King Uzziah died; considered a vision of God’s holiness and commissioning as prophet. |
| Early Ministry under Jotham | Isaiah 1–12 (select passages) | c. 740–735 BCE | Isaiah begins preaching about Judah’s social injustice, idolatry, and impending judgment. |
| Ministry under Ahaz | Isaiah 7–12 | c. 735–715 BCE | Includes the Immanuel prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) and warnings about Assyrian threat. Scholars note historical context with Syro-Ephraimite war (735–732 BCE). |
| Syro-Ephraimite War | Isaiah 7 | 735–732 BCE | Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser III) pressures Aram (Syria) and Israel; Isaiah counsels King Ahaz to trust God, not political alliances. |
| Hezekiah’s Reign and Assyrian Threat | Isaiah 36–39 | 715–687 BCE | During Sennacherib’s invasion (701 BCE), Isaiah prophesies deliverance of Jerusalem. |
| Later Warnings and Exilic Prophecies | Isaiah 40–66 | c. 701–681 BCE+ | Scholars debate authorship (First Isaiah vs. Deutero-Isaiah). Prophecies of Babylonian exile and restoration may reflect later editorial additions. |
| Death of Isaiah | Traditional sources | c. 681 BCE? | Biblical text does not specify; Jewish tradition (e.g., Talmud, Babylonian sources) holds he was martyred during Manasseh’s reign. |
How Old was Isaiah when God called him?
According to Historians and biblical scholars, Isaiah was most likely in his twenties at the time God called Him into prophetic ministry.
When Was Isaiah born, and How Old Was Isaiah When he Died?
The biblical and historical consensus is that Isaiah was born in the 8th Century BC and died in the 7th Century BC.
Biblical Scholars On Isaiah's Writings:
| Chapter Range | Focus | Scholarly Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 1–5 | Opening indictment, Judah’s corruption, call to repentance, Day of the LORD themes. | Franz Delitzsch in Commentary on Isaiah emphasizes that these chapters form Isaiah’s “moral prologue,” establishing covenant lawsuit themes foundational to the entire book. He notes that the prophet’s imagery blends legal, poetic, and cosmic language to highlight Judah’s guilt. Delitzsch argues that Isaiah’s early oracles already anticipate universal holiness through divine purging. He sees Isaiah 1–5 as the necessary theological lens through which the whole book must be read. |
| Isaiah 6–12 | Isaiah’s call, Immanuel prophecies, Messianic hope, Assyrian crisis. | S. R. Driver in Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament sees these chapters as Isaiah’s “charter of prophetic authority,” rooting his message in a holy encounter with God. He argues that the Immanuel and Branch prophecies provide a dual horizon: immediate deliverance and long-range Messianic fulfillment. Driver stresses the literary unity and escalating hope across these chapters. He concludes that Isaiah presents judgment and salvation as simultaneous movements of God’s holiness. |
| Isaiah 13–23 | Oracles against the nations: Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Egypt, Tyre. | T. K. Cheyne in The Prophecies of Isaiah describes these chapters as a “concert of international judgments,” where God’s sovereignty over all nations is displayed. He observes that Isaiah’s poetic form intensifies the political message. Cheyne emphasizes that the fall of nations functions as a prelude to future Zionic restoration. He argues these oracles reveal the moral structure underlying global history. |
| Isaiah 24–27 | “Isaiah Apocalypse”: cosmic judgment, resurrection themes, universal hope. | George Adam Smith in The Book of Isaiah identifies this section as a theological climax in which Isaiah stretches beyond immediate history toward eschatological realities. He notes the universal language—earth, world, peoples—indicating judgment on all nations. Smith interprets the resurrection imagery as early signs of post-exilic hope. He asserts that these chapters portray God’s victory over death and chaos. |
| Isaiah 28–35 | Woes against Judah, warnings about false alliances, future Zion, Messianic king. | Alexander Maclaren in Expositions of Holy Scripture argues that these chapters expose Judah’s political folly with striking satire and divine warning. He highlights Isaiah’s contrast between human schemes and divine salvation. Maclaren underscores the recurring motif of a righteous king who embodies God’s future. He concludes that the section alternates between immediate historical critique and long-term Messianic expectation. |
| Isaiah 36–39 | Historical narrative: Hezekiah, Assyrian invasion, deliverance, Babylonian envoys. | H. C. G. Moule in Isaiah in the Light of History explains that these chapters serve as a historical hinge joining the two halves of Isaiah. He notes that the Assyrian crisis validates Isaiah’s earlier prophetic warnings. Moule argues that Hezekiah’s failure with the Babylonian envoys foreshadows the coming exile. He views the section as demonstrating the reliability of prophetic word and the danger of misplaced trust. |
| Isaiah 40–48 | Comfort oracles, sovereignty of God, futility of idols, restoration from exile. | John D. Michaelis in Commentaries on the Prophets emphasizes that these chapters announce a new era of divine consolation. He stresses Isaiah’s rhetorical contrast between the living God and powerless idols. Michaelis sees Cyrus as a divinely appointed historical instrument demonstrating God’s universal rule. He argues that the theology of creation is here tied to redemption. |
| Isaiah 49–55 | Servant Songs, redemption, atonement, universal mission, new covenant hope. | Bernard D. Duhm in Das Buch Jesaja famously highlights these chapters as containing the pinnacle of prophetic theology in the Servant Songs. He interprets the Servant as both individual and representative, bearing Israel’s destiny. Duhm argues that Isaiah presents atonement, mission, and restoration as inseparable. He claims Isaiah 53 stands as the theological axis of the book. |
| Isaiah 56–59 | Ethical renewal, justice, fasting, true worship, warnings against hypocrisy. | W. Robertson Smith in The Prophets of Israel stresses that this section emphasizes the moral conditions necessary for restored fellowship with God. He notes Isaiah’s critique of empty ritual apart from justice. Smith argues that these chapters link ethical living to divine presence. He concludes that restoration without righteousness is impossible. |
| Isaiah 60–66 | New heavens and earth, glorified Zion, universal worship, final judgment, new creation. | E. B. Pusey in The Minor Prophets with a Commentary writes that these chapters describe the “consummation of all prophetic hope.” He sees Isaiah presenting a vision of universal pilgrimage to Zion. Pusey highlights the eschatological union of justice and glory. He concludes that Isaiah ends with the triumph of God’s kingdom over sin, death, and all cosmic opposition. |
Isaiah 1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
3 The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s [a]crib;
But Israel does not know,
My people do not [b]consider.”
4 Alas, sinful nation,
A people [c]laden with iniquity,
A [d]brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the Lord,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward.
References:
Bright, John. A History of Israel, 4th ed. Westminster John Knox, 2000.
Goldingay, John. The Message of Isaiah 1–39, 2001.
Childs, Brevard S. Isaiah: A Commentary, 2001.
Oswalt, John N. The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39, 1986.
Smith, George Adam. The Book of Isaiah, ICC, 1919.
Rashi (1040–1105). Commentary on Isaiah.
Keil, Carl Friedrich & Delitzsch, Franz. Commentary on the Old Testament, Isaiah, 1866–1891.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714). Commentary on the Whole Bible, Isaiah.
Delitzsch, Franz. Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1867.
Driver, S. R. An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1891.
Henderson, E. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah: Translated from the Original Hebrew, with a Commentary. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co., 1840.
Lowth, Robert. Isaiah: A New Translation; with a Preliminary Dissertation and Notes Critical, Philological, and Explanatory. London: J. Nichols, 1778.
Motyer, J. Alec. The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Oswalt, John N. The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.
Young, Edward J. The Book of Isaiah. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965–1972.
Cheyne, T. K. The Prophecies of Isaiah: A New Translation with Commentary and Appendices. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1880.
Skinner, John. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapters 1–39. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1896.
Smith, George Adam. The Book of Isaiah. 2 vols. New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1888.
Payne Smith, R. The Prophecies of Isaiah: With Notes and Comments. London: Oxford University Press, 1876.
Wright, Charles H. H. The Book of Isaiah: The Hebrew Text with Critical and Exegetical Notes. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1874.
Alexander, Joseph Addison. Isaiah: A Commentary on His Book. New York: Charles Scribner, 1865.
Kay, William. The Book of Isaiah in The Speaker’s Commentary. London: John Murray, 1876.
Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Translated by William Pringle. Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1840.
Keil, C. F. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Isaiah. Translated by James Martin. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1866.
G. B. Gray. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1–27. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1912.
Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Glasgow: William Collins, 1864.
Plumptre, E. H. Isaiah in The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1884.
Spurgeon, Charles H. The Treasury of David (Notes on Isaiah in sermon appendices). London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1869–1885.
