Isaiah 12 - Introduction

forms the lyrical epilogue to the first great division of the book (ch. 1 12). It consists of two short hymns of praise (Isaiah 12:1 and Isaiah 12:3) which are put into the mouth of the ransomed people. As Israel sang songs of triumph after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15), so the restored exiles shall celebrate the great salvation with such psalms of thanksgiving and joy as these. There is thus an obvious link of connexion with Isaiah 11:10-16, where the anticipations of the Messianic salvation are throughout largely coloured by reminiscences of the exodus from Egypt. Nevertheless, the secondary and imitative character of the chapter is so apparent as almost to exclude the supposition that it was written by Isaiah. Its literary affinities are with the Song of Moses, with certain parts of the Psalter, and with lyrical passages interspersed in the later prophecy of ch. 24 27 (see the Notes below). With the exception of the expression "Holy One of Israel" in Isaiah 12:6 it presents none of the phrases distinctive of Isaiah's style; and in no other instance does that prophet close an oracle with a liturgical passage like this. Hence the opinion expressed by Ewald in 1840, that the chapter is a late addition to the book of Isaiah, has slowly won a wide acceptance among scholars.