Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 75:1 (Spring 2013)
Article: Royal Names: Naming And Wordplay In Isaiah 7
Author: Gregory Goswell

WTJ 75:1 (Spring 2013) p. 97

Royal Names: Naming And Wordplay In Isaiah 7

Greg Goswell

Greg Goswell is Lecturer in Biblical Studies (Old Testament) at Presbyterian Theological Centre, Sydney, an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology.

In the prophecy of Isaiah, the naming of characters and wordplay based on their names are an important vehicle for the message of the book. The thesis of this article is that wordplay is a significant feature of Isa 7 and an important clue to the meaning and intention of the chapter. The message of Isa 7 is largely conveyed by the naming of characters, including Ahaz himself. All this provides a context for a proper understanding of the Immanuel prophecy. I seek to demonstrate that this entails a negative meaning for the name Immanuel with respect to the Davidic line (the prospect of a disruption to the regular succession of Judahite kings) and a positive meaning for the faithful remnant of Judah (represented by the prophet Isaiah himself).

I. Wordplay In Isaiah 36–39

Three prominent examples of Isaianic wordplay are the use made of the names of Sennacherib, Hezekiah, and Isaiah’s own name in Isa 36–39. Hezekiah reports to Isaiah that Sennacherib (through his emissary) has “mocked” (חרף) the living God (37:4; 37:17). As noted by Moshe Garsiel, this is the first of a series of wordplays on the name of Sennacherib (סנחריב), where the name of Israel’s foe is exploited to suggest a correlation with his actions and his fate.1 The correlation is not mere cleverness or literary embellishment, but serves the serious purpose of confirming the justice of Hezekiah’s scathing evaluation of Sennacherib’s words. Again using wordplay, Isaiah predicts that Sennacherib will fall “by the sword” (37:7) (חרב), and it is later recorded that two of his sons “slew him with the sword” (37:38) (חרב). The word used for Sennacherib’s crime (חרף) resembles God’s instrument of punishment (חרב), and both are what Garsiel calls “midrashic name derivations” (MND) from

WTJ 75:1 (Spring 2013) p. 98

Sennacherib (סנחריב).2 As noted by Garsiel, the correspondences between names and events strengthen the reader’s sense that the plot development is not accidental.You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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