“The burden of Babylon” (Is. 13. 1), “The burden of Egypt” (Is. 19. 1), etc. In what sense is this word used? The Hebrew word is MASSA, which is the usual one for a load to be carried, whether literal or figurative. Naaman asked Elisha to let him take two mules’ burden of Israelite earth to Damascus (2 Kings 5. 17); David found his iniquities a burden too heavy to bear (Ps. 38. 4).
Some writers take the word “burden” to refer to the “heavy calamity” that was pronounced on the nations in most of these prophecies. From the concordance we find that the same Hebrew word is translated “song” in 1 Chr. 15. 22, where a marginal note states that the literal meaning of the word is “lifting up”. It can apparently apply either to the lifting up and carrying of a load, or to the lifting up of the voice, an expression frequently used in Scripture. In the headings to these prophecies of Isaiah, the translators of the R.S.V. prefer the latter meaning and use the word “Oracle”, signifying a spoken prophecy.
There is a curious passage in Jer. 23. 33-40, where God commanded the people not to use the word “burden” in relation to prophetic utterances. They had apparently been using the word cynically, in the sense that they regarded the message from God as an irksome thing to bear (Compare Is. 43. 22). God responds by saying that He finds them a burden, trying His patience. This is brought out more clearly in the R.S.V. rendering of Jer. 23. 33, “When one of this people . . . asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’, you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, says the Lord’.”
Dead Sea Scrolls
To conclude our random thoughts on Isaiah, mention may be made of the remarkable confirmation of the accepted Hebrew text of Isaiah that has been provided by the Dead Sea Scrolls, found in 1947. Hitherto the oldest known manuscript of the Book of Isaiah was one written just before A.D. 900. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls was a copy of Isaiah, probably written a little earlier than the birth of Christ. Comparison with the previously known manuscript revealed almost exact agreement, showing that the copying and re-copying during the interval of nearly 1,000 years had been done so accurately that no errors of any significance had crept in.
The text of the Dead Sea Scrolls was available to the translators of the Revised Standard Version, and they indicate by the footnote, “One ancient MS”, that in 13 verses scattered through the book they have changed the wording because of the Scroll reading, sometimes supported by some other MS. The changes are all quite trivial, and make not the slightest difference to the prophet’s message, as the following examples will show. Is. 14. 4, “the insolent fury ceased” (instead of “the golden city”) Is. 21. 8, “Then he who saw cried . . .” (instead of “And he cried, A Lion . . .). Is. 33. 8, “Witnesses are despised” (instead of “cities”). Is. 49. 24, “Can the captives of a tyrant be rescued?” (instead of “Shall the lawful captive be delivered?”).
For comprehensive study of Isaiah, the only Christadelphian reference work is, “The Ministry of the Prophets”, by brethren R. Roberts and C. C. Walker, but articles on the 53rd and other specially important chapters have been published from time to time.
Jacob’s Prophecy in Gen 49 and Other Discussion Questions