Isaiah was a prophet in Judah during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His prophecies are recorded in the biblical book bearing his name.
Isaiah was one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, active during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (Isa.1.1). He brought messages of judgment and hope, foretelling the Babylonian exile and the future restoration of God's people.
Isaiah advised kings in several crises, including the Syro-Ephraimite threat against Ahaz (Isa.7) and Sennacherib's invasion during Hezekiah's reign (2Ki.19, Isa.37). He also confronted Hezekiah for entertaining Babylonian envoys (2Ki.20, Isa.39).
Isaiah's prophecies contain strong themes of God's holiness, judgment against sin, and the coming of the Messianic king and Suffering Servant. Many of his prophecies were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ, as noted in the New Testament (e.g., Mat.4.14-16, Luk.4.17-21, Jhn.12.38-41).
Isaiah's ministry included dramatic prophetic signs, such as walking barefoot and naked for three years (Isa.20) and giving his sons symbolic names (Isa.7.3, 8.3). Jewish tradition says he was martyred by being sawn in two during Manasseh's evil reign (cf. Heb.11.37). Isaiah is considered one of the greatest literary prophets, and his book is sometimes called "the fifth Gospel" for its rich messianic imagery.
Isaiah and Hezekiah against Sennacherib
RoleStated in the textWhen Sennacherib of Assyria threatened Jerusalem in 701 BC, Hezekiah sought Isaiah. Isaiah promised deliverance and the Assyrian army was struck down. Isaiah also announced and then reversed Hezekiah's fatal illness, and warned of Babylon after the envoys' visit.
Sources: 2 Kgs 19:1-7 · 2 Kgs 19:35-36 · 2 Kgs 20:1-11 · Isa 39:5-7
Isaiah and Ahaz: the sign of Immanuel
RoleStated in the textIsaiah met Ahaz, threatened by Aram and Israel, and offered a sign; Ahaz declined and relied on Assyria. The prophecy of the virgin/young woman bearing Immanuel followed. Ahaz's son Hezekiah later reversed his father's policy.
Sources: Isa 7:1-9 · Isa 7:10-14 · 2 Kgs 16:7-9
Isaiah names Cyrus
RoleDebatedIsaiah 44-45 names Cyrus as the LORD's "shepherd" and "anointed" who will release the exiles. Whether the prophecy was written before Cyrus (about 150 years after Isaiah) or by a later prophet in the exile is a major dispute.
Where the text shows it: Isa 44:28 — "Who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd"Isa 45:1 — Cyrus called "anointed"Ezra 1:1-2 — Cyrus's decree recalls the LORD's stirring Ways people read this (3)
- Traditional view: one Isaiah wrote all sixty-six chapters, including a predictive naming of Cyrus.
- Critical view: chapters 40-55 come from an anonymous sixth-century prophet (often called Second Isaiah) writing in Cyrus's time.
- Josephus (Antiquities 11.1) says Cyrus read this prophecy; this is a tradition, not independent proof.
Sources: Isa 44:28 · Isa 45:1 · Ezra 1:1-2
Isaiah Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)
ISA'IAH (Jehovah's salvation). Very little is known of the personal history of this eminent prophet. He was the son of Amoz. Isa 1:1; 2 Kgs 20:1. He began his prophetic career under Uzziah, probably in the last years of his reign, Isa 6:1, and continued it during the succeeding reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Zech 7:1. This would throw his prophetic activity between the years b.c. 760 and 713 or 698, the year of Hezekiah's death. He was married and had two sons. 1 Kgs 7:3; Isa 8:3, etc. His wife is called a prophetess, and his children, like himself, had prophetical names emblematic of Israel's future. He wore a hair-cloth dress. Rev 20:2. He seems to have been held in high esteem, especially by Hezekiah. Isa 37:2; Isa 38:1. In addition to the prophecies which we have by this prophet, he wrote a history of Uzziah's reign, 2 Chron 26:22, which is lost. The Bible does not indicate the mode of his death. A Jewish tradition (in the Talmud), however, states that when nearly 90 years old he was sawn asunder in a hollow carob tree, in Manasseh's reign. Comp. Heb 11:37. The "mulberry tree of Isaiah," in the Kedron valley, near Jerusalem, marks the traditional spot of his martyrdom. "It signifies much that he was not a celibate, but had a family; that he was not a wanderer in the desert or over hill and vale, but had a house and home; that he lived not in a secluded retreat or remote village, but in the great city, at the capital and court of Judah, the seat of all Hebrew blessings and hopes, with all its social, political, and religious influences. He is the first prophet since Elisha of whom we have any details. Of himself, like the apostle John, he says almost nothing." He mentions, however, distinctly his divine call and commission. Heb 6:1-8. Isaiah is the evangelist…
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Isaiah Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible
ISA'IAH (Jehovah's salvation). Very little is known of the personal history of this eminent prophet. He was the son of Amoz. Isa 1:1; 2 Kgs 20:1. He began his prophetic career under Uzziah, probably in the last years of his reign, Isa 6:1, and continued it during the succeeding reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Zech 7:1. This would throw his prophetic activity between the years b.c. 760 and 713 or 698, the year of Hezekiah's death. He was married and had two sons. 1 Kgs 7:3; Isa 8:3, etc. His wife is called a prophetess, and his children, like himself, had prophetical names emblematic of Israel's future. He wore a hair-cloth dress. Rev 20:2. He seems to have been held in high esteem, especially by Hezekiah. Isa 37:2; Isa 38:1. In addition to the prophecies which we have by this prophet, he wrote a history of Uzziah's reign, 2 Chron 26:22, which is lost. The Bible does not indicate the mode of his death. A Jewish tradition (in the Talmud), however, states that when nearly 90 years old he was sawn asunder in a hollow carob tree, in Manasseh's reign. Comp. Heb 11:37. The "mulberry tree of Isaiah," in the Kedron valley, near Jerusalem, marks the traditional spot of his martyrdom. "It signifies much that he was not a celibate, but had a family; that he was not a wanderer in the desert or over hill and vale, but had a house and home; that he lived not in a secluded retreat or remote village, but in the great city, at the capital and court of Judah, the seat of all Hebrew blessings and hopes, with all its social, political, and religious influences. He is the first prophet since Elisha of whom we have any details. Of himself, like the apostle John, he says almost nothing." He mentions, however, distinctly his divine call and commission. Heb 6:1-8. Isaiah is the evangelist…
Read the full entry →
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
54 verses in 9 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H3470