The study of how the manuscript editions of the texts have changed is called redaction criticism. This is the examination of these literary biblical document to discover how the biblical authors have formed and linked the materials together. How did they edit these texts to establish their meaning and significance?
formed
Primitive Christian Communities
The early followers of Jesus were his Jewish apostles and disciples. They formed a close-knit community. As they ventured out of Jerusalem after the death and resurrection of Jesus, they formed other small groups of Christian communities. During the first century of Christianity, we often refer to these Christians as the Primitive Christian Communities, not really a church yet, but described in the Acts of the Apostles. As far as we know, these Jewish followers of Jesus prayed in the Temple and the synagogues. They shared their stories about Jesus and his followers with other Jewish groups. Out of this oral community will come the written documents of the New Testament.
The foolish idol makers (Jer 51:17-51:19)
“Everyone is stupid.
Everyone is
Without knowledge.
Goldsmiths
Are put to shame
By their idols.
Their images
Are false.
There is no breath
In them.
They are worthless,
A work of delusion.
At the time
Of their punishment,
They shall perish.
Not like these,
Is Yahweh,
The portion of Jacob.
He is the one
Who formed all things.
Israel is
The tribe
Of his inheritance.
Yahweh of hosts
Is his name.”
Once again, Yahweh, via Jeremiah, chides the foolish idol makers. These image makers are stupid without any knowledge. These goldsmiths are put to shame because their images are false, a worthless work of delusion without any breathe. They will all perish on the day of punishment. Yahweh, on the other hand, is not like these idols or idol makers. He is the portion of Jacob with his tribe of Israel as his inheritance. Yahweh of hosts is the name of the one who has formed all things.
The power of God (Jer 33:2-33:3)
“Thus says Yahweh.
Who made the earth.
Yahweh formed it
To establish it.
Yahweh is his name.
‘Call to me!
I will answer you!
I will tell you great things.
I will tell you hidden things
That you have not known.’”
Yahweh has made the earth, as he formed it and established it. There is no doubt that Yahweh was his name. Because Yahweh is so powerful, he wants them to call to him, since he was going to answer them. He would tell them great and hidden things that they did not know about.
Yahweh’s call to Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-1:5)
“Now the word of Yahweh
Came to me saying.
‘Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you.
Before you were born,
I consecrated you.
I appointed you
A prophet to the nations.’”
The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah. Yahweh told him that he was predestined to be a prophet before he was even formed in the womb. Yahweh knew him already. Before he was born, he was consecrated as a prophet. Yahweh has appointed him to be a prophet for all the nations.
Salvation for the children of Abraham (Isa 51:1-51:3)
“Listen to me!
You that pursue deliverance!
You that seek Yahweh!
Look to the rock
From which you were hewn!
Look to the quarry
From which you were dug!
Look to Abraham your father!
Look to Sarah who bore you!
He was but one when I called him.
I blessed him.
I made him many.
Yahweh will comfort Zion.
He will comfort all her waste places.
He will make her wilderness
Like Eden.
He will make her desert
Like the garden of Yahweh.
Joy will be found in her.
Gladness will be found in her.
Thanksgiving will be found in her.
The voice of song will be found in her.”
Second Isaiah says that the rock of salvation is Yahweh. If they were pursuing righteousness, they were seeking the Lord, Yahweh. They had to remember where they came from. Here it is not dust, but a rock quarry that they came from. The rock from this quarry was formed to make them. They had to remember not only Abraham but also Sarah, one of the few times that she is mentioned outside of Genesis. Yahweh blessed Abraham so that he had many descendants. Now Yahweh was going to comfort their offspring at Zion. The desert and the wilderness were going to become like the Garden of Eden, the garden of Yahweh. There would be nothing there except joy, gladness, thanksgiving, and hymn singing in this new Garden of Eden.
The power of Yahweh (Isa 44:24-44:28)
“Thus says Yahweh,
Your Redeemer!
He formed you in the womb.
‘I am Yahweh!
I made all things!
I alone stretched out the heavens!
I by myself spread out the earth!
Who was with me?
Who frustrates the omens of liars?
Who makes fools of diviners?
Who turns back the wise?
Who makes their knowledge foolish?
Who confirms the word of his servant?
Who fulfills the predictions of his messengers?
Who says of Jerusalem?
‘It shall be inhabited.’
Who says of the cities of Judah?
‘They shall be rebuilt.
I will raise up their ruins.’
Who says to the deep?
‘Be dry!
I will dry up your rivers.’
Who says of Cyrus?
‘He is my shepherd.
He shall carry out my purpose.’
Who says of Jerusalem?
‘It shall be rebuilt.’
Who says of the temple?
‘Your foundations shall be laid.’”
Second Isaiah ends this chapter the way it began, stressing the redeeming power of Yahweh among the Israelites who had been formed by Yahweh in their mother’s womb. Yahweh has stretched out the heavens and spread out the earth by himself. He has frustrated liars. He has made fools of false prophets. He has made the wise people look foolish with all their knowledge. However, he has fulfilled his word to his servants and the predictions of his messengers. He said that Jerusalem would be inhabited and the cities of Judah would be rebuilt from their ruins. He dried up the rivers. He also made Cyrus his shepherd, a very strong term for this Persian leader from 559-530 BCE. Cyrus was to carry out Yahweh’s purposes as the destroyer mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. Jerusalem would be rebuilt with the foundations of the temple laid out.
Oracle about the servant Israel (Isa 44:21-44:22)
“Remember these things!
O Jacob!
O Israel!
You are my servant!
I formed you!
You are my servant!
O Israel!
You will not be forgotten by me.
I have swept away your transgressions
Like a cloud.
I have swept away your sins
Like a mist.
Return to me!
I have redeemed you.”
Second Isaiah clearly indicates here that Jacob/Israel is the servant of God since it is repeated twice. They were to remember these things. Yahweh will not forget them, since he formed them. He has swept away their transgressions and sins as if they clouds or mists, here today and gone tomorrow. He wanted them to return to him since he had redeemed them.
Listen my servant Jacob (Isa 44:1-44:2)
“But now hear!
O Jacob!
My servant!
Israel!
Whom I have chosen!
Thus says Yahweh
Who made you.
He formed you
In the womb.
He will help you.
Do not fear!
O Jacob!
My servant!
Listen Jeshurun!
Whom I have chosen.”
Once again we have Yahweh in the first person singular ask Jacob or Israel to listen. Jacob is clearly the servant of Yahweh since he was chosen, made, and formed in the womb. Yahweh would help, so that there was no reason to be afraid. After all, he has chosen both Jacob and Israel or as they are called here Jeshurun, an endearing term for Israel used in Deuteronomy, chapters 32-33.
The ransom of Israel (Isa 43:3-4:7)
“I give Egypt as your ransom.
I give Ethiopia in exchange for you.
I give Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
I honored you.
I love you.
I give people in return for you.
I give nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear!
I am with you!
I will bring your offspring from the east.
I will gather you from the west.
I will say to the north.
‘Give them up!’
I will say to the south.
‘Do not withhold!’
Bring my sons from far away!
Bring my daughters from the end of the earth!
Bring everyone who is called by my name,
Whom I created for my glory,
Whom I formed,
Whom I made.”
Yahweh God, using the first person singular in Second Isaiah, wants to ransom the Israelites, whether they were in Egypt, Ethiopia, or Arabia Seba. The Israelites were precious in his sight. He loved and honored them. He would give other people up to save their lives. The Israelite offspring shall be from the east, the west, the north, and the south. He would gather his sons and daughters from the ends of the earth. He would have everyone who called on his name and gave him glory ransomed, since he had formed and made them.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 