Csaba Balogh, «'He Filled Zion with Justice and Righteousness'. The Composition of Isaiah 33», Vol. 89 (2008) 477-504
In contrast to most opinions concerning Isa 33 this pericope is far too complex to be explained as one coherent literary unit. Isa 33 has a short anti-Assyrian woe-cry at its bases (vv. 1+4), which once closed the woe-cries of Isa 28–32. Vv. 1+4 were supplemented first (around 598 or 587) by a communal lament, vv. 2-3+5+7-12, bringing the idea of the punishment of Judah and the temporised destruction of the enemy in vv. 1+4 further. Second, (shortly after 539) vv. 1-5.7-12 were expanded by a salvation prophecy, vv. 6+13-24, concerning the returnees, the restoration of Jerusalem and the monarchy.
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YHWH in v. 5a (cf. Isa 6,1) (23). It is therefore correct to render the qatal
of alm (with most scholars) as past tense (24).
But what does it mean in v. 5b that YHWH filled Zion with justice
and righteousness? This is generally interpreted as God’s salvation of
Jerusalem (25). However, in that case contradiction arises with vv. 1-4,
which speak about salvation yet to come. If Zion is saved already, why
is there a prayer looking out for deliverance?
fpvm and hqdx represent the divine order restored by YHWH (he is
the subject of alm): that is to say, punishing the godless and
rehabilitating those oppressed. This means that the negative or positive
connotation of hqdxw fpvm is dependent on the attitude of the people
towards YHWH. In Isaiah’s descriptions of Judah in the 8th century,
this word pair has negative connotations. There is no justice and
righteousness in Jerusalem (Isa 1,21; 5,7; 28,17), that is, the people do
not “fill†Jerusalem with justice and righteousness (26). Justice and
righteousness performed by YHWH means that Judah is punished for
unlawful deeds (5,16; cf. 3,14; 4,4; 34,5). Somewhat similarly, fpvm
and hqdx in Isa 56-59 is used mostly in prophetic criticism or
stipulations (56,1; 58,2; 59,8.14). The terms fpvm and hqdx appear with
positive connotations for Judah almost always in proclamations of the
future (27). The former city of lawlessness will become one of justice
and righteousness (1,26.27; 32,16). This often means justice performed
and supervised by the leaders (1,26-27; 9,6; cf. 11,4-5; 16,5; 28,6;
32,1). Second, in Isa 40–55, fpvm and hqdx may refer to acts of
salvation or rehabilitation (45,8; 46,13; 50,8; 51,5.6.8). But it is
noteworthy that here the two terms are never used together (side by
side or in parallelism) (28) Third, in Isa 56–59, the attitude of the people
is mirrored by YHWH’s own fpvm and hqdx, which may have the sense
of bringing salvation (59,9.11). Yet this part of the book only speaks of
the lack of manifestation of YHWH’s fpvm and hqdx.
(23) See also Ps 99,1 and 4; 103,6 and 19.
(24) E.g., ASV, NASB, JPS Tanakh, NRSV, Wildberger, Kustár. Taking it to
refer to the present situation (NAB, Revidierte Elberfelder) is grammatically the
least likely for the qatal form of alm, cf. P. JOÜON – T. MURAOKA, A Grammar of
Biblical Hebrew (SubBi 14; Roma 1993) §112c-i. Rendering alm as future (NIV,
Einheitsübersetzung, Kaiser) is possible grammatically, and at a later stage in the
composition of Isa 33 this may have also been implied (see below).
(25) YOUNG, Isaiah, II, 408; WILDBERGER, Jesaja, 1290; KUSTÃR, Krankheit, 83.
(26) See also Isa 1,17.21; 5,23; 10,2; 29,21.
(27) Exception is 1,21, referring to the remote past in contrast with the present.
(28) Cf. R. RENDTORFF, “Zur Komposition des Buches Jesajaâ€, VT 34 (1984) 312.
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