Sárospataki Füzetek 16. (2012)
2012 / 3-4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - P. H. R. van Houwelingen: Jeruzsálem, az anyagyülekezet. Az apostoli egyház fejlődése Jeruzsálem szemszögéből
The Servant and the Servants in the Book of Isaiah In my opinion this ending of the Jacob-Israel-address corresponds to an important change in the identification of the Servant at this same point.9 Before chapter 49 the Servant can be consequently identified as being the people Israel.10 11 Though Israel is in exile, there still is a personal relationship with the Lord. ‘My Servant’ is a title of honor the Lord gives to Israel confirming its privileged position.11 Starting with Isa 41:8 the Servant is on several occasions even explicitly mentioned as Israel or Jacob. Moreover, it is remarkable that when the Servant is mentioned for the first time, only here the regular order of Jacob and Israel is reversed. This calls for attention. I suppose that this reversal deliberately points the reader of the book of Isaiah to the identification of the Servant here, guiding the reader in the chapters that follow. The one problematic text within this part of the book has always been Isa 42:1-4. Traditionally Isa 42:1-4 has been interpreted as referring to an individual Servant, above all probably because of the way it is used in the New Testament. In his gospel Matthew explicitly notes that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by healing many people and ordering them not to make Him known (Matt 12:17-21). Since Duhm it has even been called the first Servant Song which has reinforced this interpretation of this Servant text as referring to an individual Servant. This interpretation, however, isolates this text from its context within the book and is based on an outdated paradigm. There is no compelling reason to think that the Servant in Isa 42:1 would be an other than the Israel already mentioned.12 When understood in relation to the first mention of the Servant (Isa 41:8), it can only be Servant Israel that is formally presented here to the world by the Lord himself. One would expect any other identification as having been made explicitly. This Servant text then describes the mission of Israel towards the nations. It is an enormous mission of a royal character that has to do with the bringing forth of justice and with the establishment of righteousness. Within the following verses Israel’s mission is even defined as being a covenant to the people and a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and from the prison those who sit in darkness (Isa 42:6-7). Cf. J. Blenkinsopp, ‘The Servant and the Servants in Isaiah and the Formation of the Book’. In: Writing and Reading the Scroll of Isaiah, Leiden 1997, pp. 155-175. 10 Cf. P. Wilcox & D. Paton-Williams, ‘The Servant Songs in Deutero-Isaiah’, JSOT 42 (1988), pp. 79- 102: ‘all the obstacles to identifying the servant consistently with Israel occur at or after Isa 49.4. Before then, in 42.1-4, and throughout Isa 40-48, a consistent identification of the two is possible.’ (p. 81) 11 Before the time of the exile, this title was given to individuals like the patriarchs, kings and prophets who could be presented as chosen by God (cf. Gen 26:24 ‘my servant Abraham’; Isa 20:3 ‘my servant Isaiah’; Isa 22:20 ‘my servant Eliakim’ and Isa 37:35 ‘my servant David’). During the exile prophecy applied this servant concept to the people of Israel (cf. Jer 30:10; 46:27-28; Ezek 28:25; 37:25; see also the use of the designation your servants’ in the context of prayer: 1 Kgs 8:23, 32, 36; Neh 1:6, 10, 11; Ps 79:2, 10; 89:51; 90:13, 16; 102:15), making use of the vassal concept developed by the great Near Eastern empires. Cf. Antony Tharekadavil, Servant of Yahweh in Second Isaiah. Isaianic Servant Passages in Their Literary and Historical Context, Frankfurt am Main 2007. 12 The Septuagint has even made this identification explicit by inserting the name of Israel in the text of Isa 41:1. 2012/3 .í SÁROSPATAKI FÜZETEK 37
