Foreigners and Eunuchs in Yeshayahu 56/2

Foreigners and Eunuchs in Yeshayahu 56

Exegetical Approaches

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Era of Nechemyah

The prophecy is aimed at the people living in Israel in the time of Nechemiah, and constitutes a call for acceptance of the foreign converts living among them.

Sources:Biur, modern scholars

"כִּי קְרוֹבָה יְשׁוּעָתִי לָבוֹא" – The Biur maintains that the prophet refers to salvation from "the enemies of Yehuda and Binyamin", such as Sanbalat and Toviah, who attempted to prevent the nation from rebuilding the city's walls.

"שִׁמְרוּ מִשְׁפָּט וַעֲשׂוּ צְדָקָה " – Oppression of the poor was a problem in the time of Nechemyah, as evidenced by Nechemyah 5:1-11.  Thus, the prophet exhorts the people to do justice as a precondition for Hashem's assistance. The Biur further notes that to stand up against their enemies, the struggling nation of returnees needed to be united; before dealing with injustices from without they needed to ensure justice within.

Emphasis on Shabbat – Sanctifying Shabbat, in particular, is emphasized as there was a laxity in its observance in this era. See Nechemiah's outcry against those who engaged in business on Shabbat in Nechemiah 13:15-22.

בני נכר וסריסים

• According to Y. Ben-Ze'ev both of these groups were actually non-Jews who had taken on Hashem's commandments. The בני נכר were laymen, while the סריסים were of the courtier class, as it was common in Babylonian society to employ eunuchs in such positions.
• In a similar vein, the Biur suggests that סריס means a servant, and that the term might refer to either "בְּנֵי עַבְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה" or the "נְּתִינִים", two groups of pilgrims who are mentioned in Ezra 2. The 

Attitude towards converts in Prophetic literature

End of Babylonian Exile

The prophet's words are addressed to the nation in Babylonia, on the eve of their return to Israel.  The prophet encourages those foreigners and eunuchs who fear a worsening of their status with the move back to Israel.

Current Exile

Yeshayahu's words relate to the current exile and the redemption of Messianic times. The prophet encourages all to hasten the redemption through good deeds, promising even those outsiders who feel that all is for naught, that they will share in the rewards.