Historical Backdrop of Yeshayahu 40/2

Historical Backdrop of Yeshayahu 40

Exegetical Approaches

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Era of Yeshayahu

Yeshayhau was comforting the people of his own time.

Babylonian Exile

Yeshayahu's words are addressed to the nation who had been exiled to Babylonia.

Sources:R. Yosef KaraYeshayahu 40About R. Yosef Kara, Ibn EzraYeshayahu 40:1, 3, 11, 25, 27, 31About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, ShadalYeshayahu 40:1-3, 10-12, 16, 18, 27About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

Why speak about the return from Babylonia now? These sources offer several approaches to this question:

• Ibn Ezra points out that the previous chapter¹ closed with the prophecy that Chizkiyahu's descendants and the palace treasures were to be exiled to Babylonia. As such, Yeshayahu juxtaposed this prophecy of consolation aimed at those in exile, to comfort both them and his own generation who were otherwise left with an open-ended prediction of exile.²

"כִּי מָלְאָה צְבָאָהּ כִּי נִרְצָה עֲוֺנָהּ" – Ibn Ezra and Shadal explains that "צבא" refers to a set amount of time or work.  The prophet tells the nation that the seventy years of Babylonian exile which were foretold by Yirmeyahu³ have come to their end.  The people paid their due in punishment () and now it is time to return.

Present Exile

Yeshayahu's prophecy speaks of the future redemption.  He tells the people not to despair for Hashem will ultimately redeem the nation and return those in exile to Tzion.

Sources:RadakYeshayahu 40About R. David Kimchi, RidYeshayahu 40About R. Yeshayah of Trani, Abarbanel, MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 40About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

Why speak about Messianic times now?

¹ See Yeshayahu 39.

² The wording of the prophecy is somewhat difficult for this explanation, as yeshayahu appears to be addressing those in exile itself, sho have despaired of returning.

³ See Yirmeyahu 25:11-12.