Difference between revisions of "Historical Backdrop of Yeshayahu 1/2"
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<li><b>"...אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה"</b> – R"Y Kara assumes this refers to the desolation of the land caused by the exile, when Yehuda and Yerushalayim alone remained like an abandoned hut in an empty vineyard. Shadal questions why Yeshayahu wouold refer to the land of the ten tribes as "אַרְצְכֶם" if he is speaking to Yehuda. He suggests that perhaps once there were no longer two competing kingdoms, the prophet could speak of them as one.</li> | <li><b>"...אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה"</b> – R"Y Kara assumes this refers to the desolation of the land caused by the exile, when Yehuda and Yerushalayim alone remained like an abandoned hut in an empty vineyard. Shadal questions why Yeshayahu wouold refer to the land of the ten tribes as "אַרְצְכֶם" if he is speaking to Yehuda. He suggests that perhaps once there were no longer two competing kingdoms, the prophet could speak of them as one.</li> | ||
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− | <point><b>No mention of ten tribes</b> – Shadal questions this approach, stating that if | + | <point><b>No mention of ten tribes</b> – Shadal questions this approach, stating that if the chapter was really referring to the exile, such a pivotal event would have been mentioned explicitly by the prophet and not only alluded to.</point> |
− | <point><b> | + | <point><b>"צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה"</b> – R. Yosef Kara asserts that these verses of consolation refer to the future, when those exiled were to return.</point> |
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Version as of 09:30, 21 May 2018
Historical Backdrop of Yeshayahu 1
Exegetical Approaches
During Uziyahu's Reign
The prophecy was relayed during the reign of Uziyahu and relates to the sins of his era. Yeshayahu warned the people of the future devastation slated to befall their land if they did not change their ways.
- Spiritual status – Melakhim II 15:3-4 shares that Uziyahu "did as was right in the eyes of Hashem," excepting the continued use of private altars. Divrei HaYamim also shares that at the end of his life, he became arrogant and thought to usurp the position of the high priest, attempting to bring an incense offering. [Despite the problematic nature of this episode,3 however, this was not an idolatrous act.]
- Political status – Uziyahu's reign was marked by prosperity, military conquests, and expansion of the kingdom. He further engaged in agricultural and building projects, fortifying the country. The text shares that: "וַיֵּצֵא שְׁמוֹ עַד לְמֵרָחוֹק כִּי הִפְלִיא לְהֵעָזֵר עַד כִּי חָזָק".
- "יָדַע שׁוֹר קֹנֵהוּ ... יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע... עָזְבוּ אֶת י"י" – Though these verses speak of "not recognizing and leaving God", they need not connote that the nation worshiped idolatry4 and might simply refer to their no longer obeying Hashem's laws in the interpersonal realm, as described above.5
- "לָמָּה לִּי רֹב זִבְחֵיכֶם" – R"E of Beaugency suggests that the people's sacrifices no longer found favor in God's eyes for two reasons: Throughout most of the year, they were offered on prohibited private altars (במות), rather than in the Mikdash.6 Moreover, even when people brought sacrifices to the Mikdash7 (on Shabbat, new moons, or holidays), they did so with the wrong motives, assuming that they the offerings would atone for all their crimes, despite the fact that they continued to sin.
- "כִּי יֵבֹשׁוּ מֵאֵילִים אֲשֶׁר חֲמַדְתֶּם" – R"E of Beaugency maintains that this refers to the trees under which the people set up altars and Asheirot for idolatry. He might assume that despite Uziyahu's worship of Hashem, the nation continued to worship other gods alongside Him. [It is also possible that the nation turned to idolatry only after Uziyhau's sin and punishment; without the guidance of an upright leader, it was easy to revert to idolatrous ways.]
- "עַל מֶה תֻכּוּ עוֹד תּוֹסִיפוּ סָרָה" – Yeshayahu tells the nation that there seems to be no point in continuing to punish them in their land,8 with the hopes of them repenting, since they have been punished in this manner from the time of the Judges, to no effect. Thus, "עַל מֶה תֻכּוּ עוֹד" does not refer to their being smitten in Uziyahu's era, but throughout the generations.
- Other descriptions of destruction – According to R"E of Beaugency, the rest of the descriptions of destruction and punishment, such as: כׇּל רֹאשׁ לׇחֳלִי ,אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה, and וְנוֹתְרָה בַת צִיּוֹן כְּסֻכָּה בְכָרֶם, refer to the future, when Assyria was to exile the ten tribes, leaving their land barren, and when Sancheriv was to capture all the fortified cities of Yehuda, leaving Yerushalayim alone unscathed. Yeshayahu is warning the people of what will come if they do not change their ways.
During Achaz's Reign
Yeshayahu's words were directed at Achaz and his generation. He decried their sins, and highlighted the resulting destruction that had been wrought on the land in the hopes of encouraging the people to change their ways
- Spiritual realm – Achaz followed the path of Israelite kings, worshiping idolatry and even passing his son through fire. Divrei HaYAmim further describes how he closed the doors to the Beit HaMikdash, replacing the worship there with the building of altars to foreign gods throughout Yerushalayim.
- Political realm – During his reign, the kingdom was attacked by the combined forces of Aram and Israel, leaving the land devastated. Later, Edomites and Philistine forces also infiltrated, capturing cities and taking Judeans captive.
- "יָדַע שׁוֹר קֹנֵהוּ ... יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע... עָזְבוּ אֶת י"י" – This approach would understand these verses to refer to the nation's turning their backs on Hashem in order to worship other gods.
- "כִּי יֵבֹשׁוּ מֵאֵילִים אֲשֶׁר חֲמַדְתֶּם" – These verses also speak of the people's idolatry, which were worshiped under trees and in gardens. Indeed, Melakhim II 16:4 says of Achaz specifically: "וַיְזַבֵּחַ וַיְקַטֵּר בַּבָּמוֹת וְעַל הַגְּבָעוֹת וְתַחַת כׇּל עֵץ רַעֲנָן." Alternatively, one could suggest that they metaphorically speak of relying on foreign powers for aid rather than trusting in Hashem. If, so they refer to Achaz's turning to Assyria for aid against Aram and Israel.10
- Interpersonal sins – Despite the fact that neither Melakhim nor Divrei HaYamim speak of the nation sinning in this area, this position assumes that such crimes were rampant as well. Shadal questions, however, that as Yeshayahu appears to focus more on these sins that those in the religious sphere, these seem to be the more egregious crimes. If so, it is strange that they are not mentioned at all in the other accounts of Achaz' reign. Conversely , given the extent of the idolatry during Achaz reign, if he was Yehsyahu's audience, one would have thought that the more of the rebuke would speak of it explicitly.
- This approach might respond that this occurred only at the end of Achaz' reign and Yeshayahu's prophecy was relayed earlier, when the nation was still engaged in syncretic worship of both Hashem and other gods. [As Melakhim II 16 presents Achaz as telling the priests to sacrifice on the new altar he had modeled after the one in Aram, it confirms that sacrifices were still being brought in the Mikdash during parts of his reign.]
- This altar itself might be the reason that Hashem abhorred the nation's sacrifices. They were not problematic only because they were accompanied by injustice and bloodshed, but also because they were being offered on a foreign altar.
- "עַל מֶה תֻכּוּ עוֹד תּוֹסִיפוּ סָרָה" – Yeshayahu asks the people why they would want to suffer more; they have already been plagued by Aram and Israel until almost nothing of the nation was left whole.
- "אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה עָרֵיכֶם שְׂרֻפוֹת אֵשׁ" – These phrases aptly describe the devastation brought to Yehuda in the aftermath of the wars with Aram, Israel, Amon and the Philistines, when only Yerushlayim. As Chizkiyahu says of the era: וַיְהִי קֶצֶף י"י עַל" יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּתְּנֵם [לְזַעֲוָה] (לזועה) לְשַׁמָּה וְלִשְׁרֵקָה."
During Chizkiyahu's Reign
Yeshayahu delivered this prophecy during the reign of Chizkiyahu. This approach divides regarding both the specific period referred to and the sins being rebuked:
Before Religious Reform
Yeshayahu rebuked the people soon after Chizkiyahu ascended the throne, and it was these words which sparked the king's religious reform.
- Sins of idolatry – At this early point in Chizkiyahu's reign, the people were still mired in the idolatry introduced by Achaz into Yehudah. Thus, Hashem chastises them for forgetting and leaving Hashem (verses 3-4), and tells then that they will be punished for worshiping foreign gods in their gardens (29-30).
- Interpersonal sins – This approach assumes that interpersonal sins accompanied the people's idolatry and, thus, Yeshayahu rebuked them about this as well.
After Chizkiyahu's Religious Reform
After Chizkiyahu brought the nation back to Hashem, they continued to sin in the interpersonal sphere and it is about this which Yeshayahu prophesied.
- "וְהֵם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי" (2-4) – The nation did not follow Hashem's path of doing justice and righteousness, and acted unjustly.
- "כִּי יֵבֹשׁוּ מֵאֵילִים אֲשֶׁר חֲמַדְתֶּם" (29-31) – According to Shadal, these words of "מֵאֵילִים" and "מֵהַגַּנּוֹת" refer to trees parallel to ministers and kings, who the rogue judges relied on. The judges will be ashamed of the tall trees that appointed them and whom they trusted and sat in their shade to allow them to do injustice and violence. On the other hand, Hoil Moshe explains more literally, of the sexual crimes done under trees.
After the Exile of the Ten Tribes
Yeshayahu rebuked the people for both their sins of idolatry and their crimes against their fellow men, bemoaning that they had learned nothing from the exile of their brothers, the ten tribes.
- "עַל מֶה תֻכּוּ עוֹד תּוֹסִיפוּ סָרָה" – R"Y Kara reads "תֻכּוּ" as if it were in the past tense. Hashem questions Yehuda why they did not learn any lessons from his smiting and exiling of the ten tribes.
- "...אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה" – R"Y Kara assumes this refers to the desolation of the land caused by the exile, when Yehuda and Yerushalayim alone remained like an abandoned hut in an empty vineyard. Shadal questions why Yeshayahu wouold refer to the land of the ten tribes as "אַרְצְכֶם" if he is speaking to Yehuda. He suggests that perhaps once there were no longer two competing kingdoms, the prophet could speak of them as one.
During All Four Kings
Yeshayahu relayed this prophecy multiple times, during the reigns of each of Uziyahu, Yotam, Achaz, and Chizkiyahu, as it pertained to all of them.