SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDGE, JUDGMENT, and JUSTICE IN ISAIAH

This is a widely used term (BDB 1047, KB 1622) in the OT. NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 214, has characterized its distribution and significance.

  1. Pentateuch, 13%, human judges
  2. History books, 34%, human leaders
  3. Wisdom Literature, 22%, divine activity
  4. Prophets, 31%, mostly divine activity

Note the following chart from Isaiah:

YHWH as Judge Messiah as Judge Israel's Ideal Judges Israel's Actual Judges
2:4
3:14 
4:4
5:16
28:6, 17, 26 
30:18
33:5, 22
61:8
66:16		 9:7
11:3, 4 
16:5
32:1
40:14
42:1, 3, 4
51:4, 5
53:8		 1:17
26:8 
56:1
58:2, 8 		 1:23
3:2
5:7
10:2
59:4, 9, 11, 14, 15

Israel was to reflect YHWH's character to the nations. She failed, so YHWH raised one "ideal" Israelite to fulfill His personal revelation to the world (i.e., the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, cf. Isa. 52:11-53:12)!

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