Rock DBI

Zion DBI

The garden of Eden is central to the story of the first man and woman before sin entered the world (see Gen 2–3). In prophetic literature, the return to Eden is a powerful metaphor for the hope of ultimate restoration of the divine-human relationship. Eden imagery is also found in Joel 2:3, and is used extensively by Ezekiel (Ezek 28:13; 31:9, 16, 18; 36:35). The image of a well-watered garden is a common motif in biblical literature that symbolizes human longing for peace, tranquility, beauty, abundance, and provision. Ezek 47:1–12 describes a life-giving river flowing from the new temple and creating an Edenic garden of fruit trees. Revelation 22:1–2 depicts the new Jerusalem in Eden-like language, with a tree of life and river of life running through the city.

The juxtaposition with wilderness imagery here recalls Israel’s wanderings after the exodus, prior to their entrance into the promised land. Israel’s expectation of Canaan as a well-watered agricultural paradise is reflected in the many references to Canaan as the “land flowing with milk and honey” (i.e., Exod 3:8). Ezekiel 20:6 seems to connect Eden imagery with the promised land, calling Israel’s land “the most glorious of all lands.”

Garden DBI

Eden HBD

Wilderness Wanderings AYBD

Songs of Thanksgiving AYBD

The link to exodus traditions in v. 3 suggests the return to Zion from Babylonian exile will play out as a second exodus, complete with wilderness wanderings, and the receiving of the law directly from Yahweh as at Mt. Sinai (see Exod 19–20). After God delivered Israel from Egypt, He led them back to Sinai, where all Israel heard and saw God’s presence when He gave Moses the Torah (see Exod 19–20; Deut 4:15).

Israel’s condemnation by the prophets is often about the people’s interest in following the letter of the law while ignoring the spirit of the law. Isaiah 1:11–17 criticizes Israel for depending on empty religious rituals instead of practicing righteousness and justice. Similarly, Micah 6:6–8 points out the futility of following the rituals when the proper attitude and behavior is not there. This theme, which runs throughout the ot prophets, is a central part of Jesus’ condemnation of the religious leaders of His day (see Matt 12:1–14; 15:1–20; 23:23).

Law DBI

Light is an important theological metaphor in biblical literature. It represents the presence of God, and is associated with His perfect justice and righteousness embodied in the Servant. While light represents knowledge and acceptance of God’s truth, darkness represents ignorance and rejection of God. The contrast of light and darkness is present in the metaphor of Israel’s spiritual blindness in 6:10 and 42:19. Salvation is described as the regaining of sight in 35:5 and 42:7.

The coming of the Messiah is described as a light that replaces the people’s spiritual darkness in 9:2, and the Servant is sent as a light to the nations (49:6). The Servant represents God’s salvation being offered to the Gentiles—a role originally assigned to Israel (42:6), but transferred to the Servant when the nation failed their task. The light metaphor emphasizes the Servant’s role in embodying God’s presence, power, and knowledge to the nations.

Light is a prominent motif in visions of future or renewed creation. Isaiah 60:19 describes how one day there will be no need for the sun because the light of Yahweh directly sustains all things. The nt also takes up this motif—especially in Revelation, where the New Jerusalem is described in terms reminiscent of 60:19 (Rev 21:23–24). The Gospel of John also makes heavy use of the light/darkness contrast and connects Jesus with the light that brings salvation to the world (see John 1:4–9).

Light Message of the Prophets

Light DBI

Light HIBD

Both Yahweh’s redemptive work in bringing salvation and His standards of holiness exemplified by His righteousness will be eternally enduring. This plan to bring salvation to His people—and through them, to all nations—has been at work throughout the ot narrative since sin entered the world in Gen 3 and Yahweh chose Abraham to create His chosen people in Gen 12. Salvation encompasses the concepts of deliverance, redemption, and rescue.

The ot continually builds the case for why salvation is necessary: because of humanity’s sinful behavior. It gradually introduces Yahweh’s power to save through small-scale and large-scale manifestations of His work. While Israel should be familiar with the concept of a God-sent deliverer from their history during the time of the Judges, the exodus tradition held preeminence throughout the ot as the quintessential example of Yahweh’s power to save. For that reason, Isaiah continually invokes imagery and motifs common to the exodus narrative to reassure the exiles of Yahweh’s power to save them and restore them to their land.

Salvation AYBD

In Jeremiah, God promises to write His Law on their hearts (Jer 31:33); Ezekiel describes it as a heart transplant, where God replaces our stubborn hearts of stone with receptive hearts of flesh (Ezek 11:19; 36:26). The true followers of Yahweh here contrast with those whose hearts are far from God in Isa 29:13.

Biblical references to the sea monster Rahab fall into two groups: allusions to the dragon defeated at the time of creation (Psa 89:10; Job 9:13; 26:12), and metaphorical references to Egypt (Psa 87:4; Isa 30:7). The use here seems to blend the two images, invoking the creation motif of God’s victory over the sea monster with the Red Sea victory over Egypt. While the myth of the primordial chaos monster is common in West Semitic mythology, there are no parallels of the name Rahab for that sea monster. More common names in both biblical and ancient Near Eastern usage include Leviathan, Tannin, Tehom, Tiamat, and Yam. Ancient Near Eastern iconography has many examples of gods depicted fighting a sea dragon.

Rahab DDD

Battling Dragons 1000 Bible Images

The story of Israel’s founding as a nation is intimately tied to creation imagery, which depicts God’s creative energy as binding the forces of chaos, symbolized by the untamed and awesome power of the sea. The triumph of Yahweh over the sea in the exodus is likened to the mythological battle between the god Baal and the sea god Yam in Ugaritic literature. Baal’s victory in the myth establishes his kingship over the Canaanite gods. Yahweh’s victory over the sea establishes Him as the supreme power of the universe, able to subdue the mighty forces of chaos. The Hebrew word for sea (yam) is the same Semitic word as the name of the sea god in Ugaritic. The limits Yahweh imposed on the sea are described in Job 38:8–11. In Genesis 1:2, the spirit of Yahweh is hovering over the deep (tehom) when creation begins (see note on Gen 1:2). The ot reflects an Israelite fear of water and drowning. That fear is evident in Hebrew poetry, especially psalms of lament (e.g., Jonah 2:3; Pss 88:6–7; 42:7).

Sea DDD

The comparison of 40:1, where a comforter was requested, and v. 12, where Yahweh is revealed as the one who comforts, underlines the motif throughout chs. 40–66: Yahweh alone brings about salvation. The theme is present in the polemic against idolatry that runs through chs. 40–48 and in the insistence on Yahweh’s power to redeem in chs. 49–55. The last section of Isaiah emphasizes how God had to take salvation into His own hands (see 59:15b–16).

Comfort DBI

Pits—usually empty water cisterns—were used to hold prisoners in confinement in the ancient Near East. Zechariah 9:11 refers to prisoners being set free from the “waterless pit.” Since the exiles were not likely held as prisoners (they were resettled political refugees), the reference to “the pit” here is probably a figurative reference to Sheol; it is linked with the assertion that the captive will be released and not die.

“Pit” is a common poetic parallel to images of the underworld. For example, Jonah calls out to God from the “belly of Sheol” (Jonah 2:2), and later praises Yahweh for bringing his life up “from the pit” (Jonah 2:6). The imagery here appears to be inverting what was described in Isa 14 in the taunt against the king of Babylon. The allusion to the oppressor in v. 13 links to 14:4, and the fact that the prisoners are saved from death in v. 14 reflects a reversal of what happens to the king in 14:19.

Pit DBI

Pit EDB

Yahweh’s assurance that bread will be provided to the exiles invokes the exodus image of manna—the miraculous bread Yahweh provided daily to Israel in the wilderness (see Exod 16:4). The return from exile will be a second exodus in nearly every way. The same exodus imagery is likely the background for the Lord’s Prayer in the nt. Matthew 6:11 echoes this dependence on God for daily needs, represented as “bread.”

Bread HIBD

Lord’s Prayer, The HBD

The language is reminiscent of Deut 18:18, where Yahweh will put His words in the mouth of the promised prophet like Moses. The predominance of exodus imagery in this part of Isaiah—combined with the presentation of the Servant as another Moses—suggests God is speaking to the Servant here. The language is almost identical with Jer 1:9 also, supporting the understanding of the phrase as directed to an individual prophet.