A SYMMETRICAL ORGANIZATION FOR ISAIAH

Several Bible scholars have noted roughly symmetrical elements in the book of Isaiah. For example, Oswalt states that chapters 56-66 return to the tone of the first part of the book (Isaiah 1-39) and, more specifically, that chapters 1-5 and 60-66 function as bookends. Also, consider the three-part organization I proposed in the post “Book of Isaiah: Introduction to the Literary Structure.”

Figure 1: Proposed Divisions for Isaiah

        Section I: Indictment (chapters 1-35)

        Section II: (Historical Interlude) (chapters 36-39)

        Section III: Promise (chapters 40-66)

There is good evidence that it can be viewed as an ABA structure. For example, compare the openings of sections I and III. The questions in 1:5 (“Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion?”) find an answer in 40:2: “...proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for...” In both of these passages, Jerusalem is included along with the nation and is indicted for her “sins” and “iniquities.”

The concluding verses of sections I and III (5:8-10 and 66:18-23, respectively) provide even closer parallels. In both passages there is a procession of those ransomed coming to Jerusalem. The two passages complement one another in that the first highlights the benefits that the pilgrims will receive from God while the second emphasizes their acts of worship performed for Him.

Additional hints that sections I and III form a matched pair come from the following observations:

a. The beginning verses in the first subsection of I (1:14-15) and those that open the last subsection of III (58:3-5) both condemn the Israelites for concentrating on the outward performance of cultic acts while neglecting weightier spiritual matters.

b. As already mentioned, the conclusion to ch. 1 echoes that of ch. 66 with similar warnings that rebels will suffer in an unquenchable fire.

            c. The key word “garden” appears in these same two symmetrically paired subsections (at 1:29 and 65:3) as part of an indictment of pagan rituals practiced by God’s people.

            d. Units IB and IIIB, in the centers of their respective sections, contain parallel passages regarding those who say that they have not given birth nor reared children (23:4 and 49:21).

            e. Blenkinsopp has noted additional parallels between the last chapter of Section I and the first chapter of Section III.

David Dorsey has gone well beyond these observations by completely analyzing the symmetrical structure of this massive book down to its smallest literary sub-units. The major flaw in his analysis is that it does not account for the obvious unifying symmetry that exists within Isaiah 40-66. In its broadest sense, Dorsey's analysis is as a seven-part chiasm (Fig. 2) with some similarity to the three-part ABA structure mentioned above since his sections I-III are identical to Section I of Figure 1, and his III'-I' together constitute Section III of Figure 1.

Figure 2: Dorsey’s Analysis of Isaiah

I. Introductory Messages (chs. 1-12)

II. Humiliation of a proud king of Babylon (chs. 13-27)

III. Don’t trust in earthly powers (chs. 28-35)

IV. Historical Narratives: Yahweh’s supremacy (chs. 36-39)

III'. Don’t trust in idols (chs. 40-48)

II'. Exaltation of the humble servant (chs. 49-54)

I'. Concluding messages (chs. 55-66)

There are many theological points that can be highlighted by this alternative understanding of the book’s structure, but only two will be mentioned here. The literary center of Dorsey’s first major section is Isaiah 6. It is in this key passage that the prophet was given the incomparable honor of being taken to the throne room of God and experiencing His glory firsthand. Because of the literary prominence given to this passage, we might expect the Book of Isaiah to give us further insights into the ways this holiness is expressed. And, in fact, the theological concept of God’s holiness has been called the most distinctive idea in this whole book. (Sawyer, Ridderbos)

The most unusual aspect to the structure of the book according to Dorsey’s overall analysis is that each of the seven sections in Fig. 2 is, in turn, composed of a seven-part chiasm. This repeating pattern only begins to break down somewhat when one burrows down one more layer into the literary foundation. For example, his Section I forms a perfect seven-membered chiasm in which five of the contributing units are also seven-part chiasms; one (Isaiah 5) has the slightly varied symmetry shown in Fig. 3; and one (Isaiah 11-12) has no discernible literary structure.

Figure 3: Dorsey’s Analysis of Isaiah 5

a. Coming destruction (5:1-7)

b. Condemnatory woes (5:8-12)

c. Verdict (5:13-14)

d. Exaltation of God (5:15-17)

b'. Condemnatory woes (5:18-23)

c'. Verdict (5:24-25)

a'. Coming destruction (5:26-30)

Note that even at this level, twice removed from the overall organization of Fig. 2, the glorification of God still forms the theme of the center unit of emphasis.