A. Outline and Structural
Analysis
54:1-10—The
Fecundity of the Barren Wife.
1-3: Call for Jerusalem to rejoice
and promise of renewed fertility.
4-8: Reunion of Yahweh with His
bride.
9-10: Comparison to the covenant
with Noah.
54:
11-17—The Security of the Afflicted City.
11-14: The rebuilding of Jerusalem.
15-17: Yahweh’s protection of the
city.
The structure of Isaiah 54 would
seem to suggest two major sections, vv. 1-10 and vv.11-17. Blenkinsopp divides
the chapter into three main sections: vv. 1-8, vv. 9-10, and vv. 11-17a, with
v. 17b as a concluding statement summarizing the whole (360-361). His basis for
doing so, is that “the only clear markers in the text itself…are the references
to who is speaking” in verses 6, 8, 10, and 17. There are, however, a few
problems with the ratio for this
division. First, if the basis of the division is based on who is speaking, why
not add another division after verse 6, which Blenkinsopp skips over? Second, in
his translation, he skips over the יהוה אמר at the end of verse 1, which would
further complicate his division based on references to the speaker. Finally,
the references to the speaker do not seem to be the only basis for dividing the
text. One could make a plausible argument for dividing the text based on the
addressee marked out in verses 1 and 11. Blenkinsopp points out that BHS and
1QIsaa also divide the text in the way I have suggested and it seems
to be the preferred one based on the context of the chapter (360). Whybray,
Westermann, North, and Sawyer also make the same division (though not
necessarily for the same reason as myself). Thus, the assessment of Watts that
“form-critical analysis has agreed on dividing the chapter into four sections:
vv 1-3, 4-6, 7-10, and 11-17” is a striking one (236).
