Read Isaiah 51 and 52 at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions:
Isa 51:1-3 {s} You who seek the LORD: Look to Abraham your father, for I will comfort Zion
Isa 51:4-6 {p} Torah will proceed from Me + My salvation has gone forth + My arm shall judge the peoples
Isa 51:7-8 {s} You who know My Law: do not fear the reproach of men; My righteousness will be forever
Isa 51:9-11 {s} Put on strength, O arm of the LORD! The ransomed shall return to Zion with joy + gladness
Isa 51:12-16 {s} Don’t be afraid of man or the fury of the oppressor, for I am the LORD your God who comforts you
Isa 51:17-21 {p} Awake! Stand up, Jerusalem! You who have drunk the cup of His wrath
Isa 51:22-23 {p} I have taken the cup of My wrath out of your hand, and given it to those who have walked on you
Isa 52:1-2 {s} Awake! Put on strength, O Zion! No more unclean shall enter you!
Isa 52:3 {s} You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money
Isa 52:4-6 {s} The Assyrian oppressed them without cause, therefore I will make My name known
Isa 52:7-10 {s} How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! You shall see YHVH returning to Zion
Isa 52:11-12 {s} Depart from the nations, and touch no unclean thing, for the LORD will go before you
Isa 52:13-15 {s} My Servant shall prosper, and be exalted very high + shall fill many nations with joy
The strong themes:
Isa 50:4-51:6 {sx4+p}Messiah will hear + obey: My Law + My salvation shall go forth from Me
Isa 51:7-21 {sx3+p} You who know My Law: fear not, for the ransomed shall return to Zion/ awake + stand up
The chiastic structure:
1a) Isa 51:1-16 {sx4} Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O arm of YHVH!
1b) Isa 51:17a, Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem;
1c) Isa 51:17b-21 {p} You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His fury;
central axis) Isa 51:22a, Thus says your Lord, the Lord and your God, who pleads the cause of His people;
2c) Isa 51:22b-23a, I have taken the cup of My fury out of your hand and given it to those who afflict you;
2b) Isa 51:23b {p} Who said, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have, for those to walk over you as a street;
2a) Isa 52:1-12 {sx5} Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion! Break into singing, for YHVH has redeemed you!
1a.1) Isa 52:1a, Awake, awake! Put on your strength + your beautiful garments, O Zion;
1a.2) Isa 52:1b, For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you;
1a.3) Isa 52:2 {s} Shake yourself from the dust, arise! Sit down loosed from your bonds, O captive daughter of Zion;
1b.1) Isa 52:3a, For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing;
1b.2) Isa 52:3b {s} And you shall be redeemed without money;”
2b.1) Isa 52:4-6 {s} What have I here, that My people are taken away for nothing?
2b.2) Isa 52:7-10 {s} Hear the good news! My people shall be brought back + redeemed in the eyes of all the nations;
1a) Isa 52:7-8a, The one who brings good news! The watchmen shall sing, and see eye to eye;
1b) Isa 52:8b, When the Lord brings back Zion;
central axis) Isa 52:9a, Break forth into joy + sing, for the Lord has comforted His people;
2b) Isa 52:9b, The Lord has redeemed Jerusalem;
2a) Isa 52:10 {s} The Lord bared His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations + they shall see His salvation;
2a.1) Isa 52:11a, Depart! Depart! Go out from there;
2a.2) Isa 52:11b, Touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be clean;
2a.3) Isa 52:12 {s} You shall not go out by hasty flight for YHVH will go before you + be your rear guard.
The 1a pair also forms a chiastic structure or a reverse parallelism but I am not wise enough to complete it. However, these are its repeating themes, that are repeated in the 2a pair:
Awake, awake, and put on strength; Isa 51:9, Isa 52:1a;
The LORD will comfort Zion: Isa 51:3a and 12a, Isa 52:9a;
The waste places of Jerusalem: Isa 51:3a, Isa 52:9,
Joy, gladness, and singing: Isa 51:3b and 11, Isa 52:9a;
The redeemed + ransomed shall return: Isa 51:11a, Isa 52:3b and 9b;
The Law of God/ the uncircumcised + unclean: Isa 51:4 and 7, Isa 52:1b and 11b.
Leave a Reply