August 20th, 2022

Our ‘journey’ continues this Sunday with the Old Testament text from the book of the prophet Isaiah [66:18-23], and unlike last week, this time we will be focusing a bit more on the text itself. It contains all but the very last verse of the entire book. And some last words are often very important words.
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In a way, though, these words are not the last of the prophet since the writer is quoted many times within the New Testament. This is also the case when it comes to Jeremiah and particularly the Gospel according to Matthew.

Last week I mentioned that the book of Jeremiah does contain a LOT of ‘Thus says the LORD…’ statements, many of which did not make it to the Greek translation of the book. The book of Isaiah has a lot of those same phrases as well. What is interesting about the Greek translation of Jeremiah is that, in chapters 1-28, these words were usually translated into Greek words which basically mean, ‘So SAYS the Lord’, but in the remaining chapters they are usually translated as ‘Thus SAID the Lord.’ So why the big difference in the verb tense?

Years ago, the simple solution proposed was that there were two different translators to this book. And that is certainly a possible solution when there is any sort of variety to a large work of translation. But more recent solutions have been of a literary nature. If it is recorded that someone SAYS something, and then it is recorded that they SAID something, what is emphasized is the things that were said at the beginning. The things said at the beginning are foundational. (For more detail, you may wish to look at The T&T Clark Companion to the Septuagint, the chapter by Andrew G. Shead, p. 471f.; edited by James K. Aitken; published by Bloomsbury T&T Clark [New York] in 2015.)

There is a message of comfort with both verb tenses. If something IS being said, or if something WAS said, if the one saying the thing is being helpful, then that is a good thing. Jeremiah is known for his being helpful, but, because of the bad news that he was given by the LORD and giving to the LORD’s people, he sometimes had some difficult times from the people who did not want to hear that bad news.

What is interesting about this almost-at-the-end text from Isaiah is that chapter sixty-six contains a lot of ‘The Lord said’ phrases. I thought it would be helpful to see those phrases in contrast to the last ‘The Lord says’ phrases that often come before. The order is very similar to what was given in Jeremiah. Below is a somewhat-literal translation of some of the last chapter of Isaiah from the Greek translation (and to be helpful, the words ‘say’ and ‘said’ are in bold print):

Verses 1-2       Thus says the Lord: The heaven, my throne; and the earth, the stool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me? And what kind, the place of my rest? For all these things, my hand made, and all these things are mine, says the Lord; and upon whom will I look, but, on the contrary, upon the one who is humble and quiet and who trembles at my words?

Verses 4-5       And I myself will choose their mockeries, and the sins I will repay them, because I called them, and they did not listen to me; I spoke, and they did not hear, and they did evil before me, and they chose things that I did not desire. Hear words of the Lord, those trembling at his word; speak, our brothers, to those hating and abhorring you, in order that the name of the Lord may be glorified and seen in their joy, and those will be ashamed.

Verse 9            But I gave this expectation, and you did not remember me, said the Lord. Look! Did I not make the bearing and the barren? said your God.

Verse 12          For so says the Lord: Look! I myself am turning toward them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them glory of the nations. Their children will be carried on shoulders, and upon knees they will be comforted.

 Verse 17         Those cleansing and purifying themselves in the gardens and in the porches eating flesh of pigs, and the abominations, and the mouse altogether will be consumed, said the Lord.

Verses 20-23   And they will bring your brothers from all the nations, a gift to the Lord, with horses and chariots, in mule-drawn covered chariots with sunshades, into the holy city of Jerusalem, said the Lord, as though the sons of Israel would bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord. And from them I will take the priests and Levites, said the Lord. For the way the new heaven and the new earth, which I am making, remain before me, says the Lord, thus your seed and your name will stand. And it shall be, month to month and Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh will come to worship before me in Jerusalem, said the Lord.

Hopefully you have enjoyed what was both said in the past and is still said today in congregations all over the world when God’s words are spoken; and HIS words are true.