Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A major prophet in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament): Isaiah is considered one of the most significant prophets in Judaism and Christianity, believed to have lived in the 8th century BC in the Kingdom of Judah. His prophecies address themes of judgment, hope, and the coming of a messianic figure.
   • A book of the Old Testament: "Isaiah" is the name of the book in the Bible that contains the prophecies and teachings attributed to the prophet Isaiah.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun (Person):
  • The prophet Isaiah warned the people of Jerusalem about the consequences of their actions.
  • According to the Book of Isaiah, a savior would come from the line of David.
• Proper noun (Book):
  • We studied a passage from Isaiah in our scripture class today.
  • The Book of Isaiah is divided into 66 chapters.

Advanced Usage

• "Isaiah's vision": A reference to a specific prophetic experience described in Chapter 6 of the Book of Isaiah, where the prophet sees God in the temple.
  • The painting depicts Isaiah's vision of the seraphim.
• "The Isaiah Scroll": Refers to one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which is a nearly complete manuscript of the Book of Isaiah discovered in 1947.
  • The Isaiah Scroll is one of the best-preserved of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Variants and Related Words

• Isaian (adj): Pertaining to the prophet Isaiah or the Book of Isaiah.
  • Scholars debate the Isaian authorship of the later chapters.
• Deutero-Isaiah (n): A term used by biblical scholars to refer to the hypothesized author(s) of chapters 40–55 of the Book of Isaiah.
• Trito-Isaiah (n): A term used by biblical scholars to refer to the hypothesized author(s) of chapters 56–66 of the Book of Isaiah.

Synonyms

• The Prophet (when contextually clear): In religious discourse, "the Prophet" can sometimes refer specifically to Isaiah.
  • As the Prophet wrote, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares."

Related Phrases

• "The Suffering Servant": A key figure described in the "Servant Songs" within the Book of Isaiah (particularly chapters 42, 49, 50, 52-53), interpreted in Christianity as a prophecy of Jesus Christ.
  • The passages about the Suffering Servant are central to Christian interpretation of Isaiah.

Noun

1. an Old Testament book consisting of Isaiah's prophecies
2. (Old Testament) the first of the major Hebrew prophets (8th century BC)