Isaiah

Isaiah - Pure Voice Audio

After trying to read Isaiah, I gave up and decided to experience it as a spoken text. There's a lot to be said for the experience of listening since (a) that is the way that most people have experienced the text for millennia, and probably how it was originally intended, and (b) one does not get hung up on particular passages but instead receives the text more as a whole, receiving the general impression of a chapter or the book.

My impression of Isaiah was that he was “bipolar.” He seemlessly moves from God's benediction showering gifts upon the world to God inflicting punishment and suffering. The wipsaw effect was confounding.

The text was obviously not written as a unitary book. Obviously, most people recognize the difference in chapters written by the original Isaiah and those written by “Deutero-Isaiah.” This seems apparent in the latter part of the text when Isaiah focuses almost exclusively on Babylon and its coming comeuppance, while the first part is directed to the threat of the Assyrians. Since these two empires were separated by hundreds of years, it seems clear that someone lifted the Isaiah trademark at some later time.

As an audiobook, the recitation was separated into the sixty-six chapters of the written text. This approach highlights the episodic and occasional nature of Isaiah's writings, as Isaiah moves from prophecies about Jerusalem, the desert, Edom, Assyria, etc. Many readings were about three to four minutes. The overall impression I got was that Isaiah would issue prophecies as a particular moment required, and a disciple would write the prophecies down, only later slamming together prophecies concerning a particular topic, which is why we end up with some chapters that seem bipolar.

I liked the Pure Voice Audio Bible I listened to. The reader had a clear delivery, which was not overly dramatic, but managed to emphasize some words or passages. Blessedly absent was the usual liturgical/inspirational music that is totally unneccessary for anyone interested in the text itself.