Isaiah

The land of Javan was probably the Ionian region of Greece, which is the western coast of present-day Turkey. Isaiah says that even this far-off… Read More »Javan

The Israelites were not the only ones who did not eat or sacrifice pig flesh. The Assyrians found the pig to be equally offensive, as… Read More »Pig flesh

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me . . . ” (61:1). Jesus would quote this verse in Nazareth more than 500 years… Read More »“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me . . . ”

The phrase ships of Tarshish (60:9) describes huge ships, able to go on voyages as long as three years (1 Kings 10:22). Isaiah says that… Read More »Ships of Tarshish

Finger-pointing (58:9) was a very serious gesture that had several potentially negative meanings. It could be taken as an official accusation against someone or could… Read More »Finger-pointing

Keeping the Sabbath was an important expression of faith for Israelites (56:2). All of life was organized around the weekly Sabbath. It also set them… Read More »Keeping the Sabbath

Enlarging the tent. Tents were assembled from strips of goat hair about a yard wide. As the family grew, more strips of goat hair would… Read More »Enlarging the tent

In Isaiah’s time, the feet of him who brings good news referred to a messenger announcing a great deed, usually a military victory. Paul quotes… Read More »The feet of him who brings good news

The head of the street (51:20) referred to prominent corners or intersections within a city. Few cities were laid out according to a specific plan.… Read More »Head of the street

A mouth like a sharp sword. The Bible often describes either the mouth or words coming from the mouth as a sword (49:2). One Hebrew… Read More »A mouth like a sharp sword

To pass through the rivers (47:2) would have been humiliating for most people of Isaiah’s day. Since there were few bridges, people had to find… Read More »Pass through the rivers

Feeding idols? In Isaiah’s day, people treated idols almost as if they were human. Some even fed, bathed, and dressed their idols. Isaiah spoke of… Read More »Feeding idols?

Long-term imprisonment was not as common in the ancient world as it is today. Prisons housed criminals awaiting trial. If there was no room in the… Read More »Long-term imprisonment

The craftsmen and goldsmiths mentioned in 41:7 were fashioning idols. The craftsman would begin by making a mold from an existing image. He would then cast the new image… Read More »craftsmen and goldsmiths

The highways of the ancient Near East were not paved like many modern highways around the world today. Rather, they were maintained by the people living along… Read More »Highways