Ulrich Berges, «Die Armen im Buch Jesaja. Ein Beitrag zur Literaturgeschichte des AT», Vol. 80 (1999) 153-177

In the book of Isaiah, as opposed to other prophets, the topic of the poor is especially important. The socially speaking needy but independent small landholder (Amos) becomes a privileged favourite of Yhwh in the message of Isaiah. In the eschatological registrations the poor are taken to Zion. During the Babylonian exile, in the "furnace of distress" (Isa 48,10) arises the servant of Yhwh, i.e. the Gola willing to return to their country. In the last part of the book the servants, descendants of the oppressed Ebed and the humiliated woman Zion emerge from the Gola. The constellation of different motifs concerning the poor, Zion and the servants gives the book of Isaiah in its final redaction quite a special appearance.

Israel und den Völkern eine tragende Rolle, wobei dem nachexilischen Tempelkult mit Skepsis begegnet wird. Stellt man sich die Frage, wo sonst noch innerhalb der alttestamentlichen Schriften eine ähnliche Konstellation der Motivkreise von Armen, Zion und Knechte anzutreffen ist, wird man allein im Psalter fündig⁶⁵.