Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 77:1 (Spring 2015)
Article: The Shape Of Messianism In Isaiah 9
Author: Gregory Goswell

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The Shape Of Messianism In Isaiah 9

Greg Goswell

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

The theme of kingship within the book of Isaiah has been highlighted by a number of scholars. For example, according to Gerhard von Rad, though it occupies less space than the Zion theme, the theme of David and the Messiah “is expounded in texts of scope and importance.”1 The theme is necessarily wider than simply the use of the Hebrew root מלך (“king, kingdom,” etc.), for some of the most studied passages in connection with the theme of kingship do not make use of the root (e.g., 11:1–9; 55:1–5). The theme is broader than a single motif, and a related group of motifs (e.g., David, throne, judging) contribute to the theme of kingship in the book of Isaiah. To label something a “theme” is to identify it as a major controlling idea and a unifying element within a literary work.2 What is almost universally viewed in recent research as a key messianic passage in the early chapters of the prophecy, namely, 9:1–7 (Heb. 8:23–9:6), comes as a “counter” to the preceding indications of unfaithfulness in the Davidic house, notably in the person of Ahaz in Isa 7.3 The “royal failure” traced in earlier chapters is compensated for in ch. 9 by the prospect of a future ruler in the Davidic line.4

In my analysis of this passage, I seek to clarify exactly what kind of messianism is on display. The study of the history of messianism is, of course a vast one.5 A distinction is often drawn between the monarchic period during which the “the Lord’s anointed” is the incumbent Judean king (e.g., 1 Sam 24:10; 26:11; 2 Sam 1:14, 16) and the post-exilic period in which an eschatological messianic

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perspective emerges, though I am not at all convinced that this scheme represents the true state of affairs. Scholars also disagre...