Isaiah 50:4-51:16
Dear RTB’ers,
Pronouns and quotation marks… Today’s portion of chapter 50 has no quotation marks (they end with 50:3), so who is speaking? Is it Isaiah (the author) or is it God or is it the (S)servant? Verses 4-9 are all first-person pronouns – I, me, and my – with “Me” and “My” capitalized in the NASB. So, who is speaking? It’s easy to see Jesus as the speaker, especially in verse 6: I gave My back to those who strike, and My cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not My face from disgrace and spitting. In spite of His treatment, Jesus is confident of His victory over His adversaries. Then we have a third-person “His” in verse 10 and another first-person “My” in verse 11. Yes, it’s confusing. But whatever might be our understanding, those last two verses of chapter 50 provide clear warning – do not contend with this “His” or “My” person! This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment. (v. 50:11b)
Then we move to our 16 verses in chapter 51. In the NASB it’s all in quotation marks, except for verses 3 and 9-11. The ESV agrees, except that verse 3 is not excepted. So again, who is speaking. It is my understanding that when the translators use “stand alone” quotation marks in Isaiah that it is the Lord speaking. The NASB agrees – everything inside quotation marks in chapter 51 has capitalized pronouns. And if so, He is speaking to a “you”, clearly the Israelites: Look to Abraham your father… (v. 51:6a) And, as I’ve said before, when God speaks to the Israelites back in Isaiah’s time, we can often read His words as speaking to us in our time: Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD… (v. 51:1a) So today, in the chapter 51 verses, as if spoken to us, it’s all comfort for His people: …My righteousness will be forever and My salvation to all generations … I, I am He who comforts you… And I have put My words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of My hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ (vv. 51:8b, 12a, 16) Yes, we are His people! Claim it!
Blessings!